Script
by untiltherainstops
Summary: When Edward and Bella were thrown unwillingly together in a blind date, they decided to play pretend. Six months, nosy mothers, and a lot of bad acting, they have to play the perfect couple to fool everyone but themselves.
1. I Have a Proposition to Make

Disclaimer: All characters, plots, and settings related to Twilight are the property of Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended by the author.

* * *

**Chapter One**

**I Have a Proposition to Make**

* * *

I avoided stares. The diner was crowded for lunch, and that made me more anxious to leave. I stared at the lone clock hanging on the dull yellow wall, watching the second hand move. Waiting for my date, I wondered how long I could get him to leave.

Precisely two minutes and fourteen seconds after I took my seat, Edward Cullen appeared in front of me, gracefully sliding in my booth. He looked at me as his right hand raked over his hair. "So..."

I stared at him blankly.

"You're the Chief's daughter."

I nodded. _Nice. He wouldn't even say my name._

He didn't bother introducing himself. He glanced at the empty table between us. "Have you ordered anything yet?"

I shook my head. I haven't even looked at the menu.

"Do you want to eat?"

I shrugged, letting him make the decision. If it was all up to me, I wouldn't even be here.

"Do you ever talk?"

I shrugged again. It was quite obvious he was getting pissed, his brows knitting together as his eyes narrowed. "Are you doing this on purpose?"

I gave him my most innocent smile.

He gave me a smile of his own, probably amused, though I can't understand why. "You're intentionally pissing me off, aren't you?"

I shrugged again.

"Damn it! You do that one more time and I swear I'll..."

_I'll...? Go on._

He seemed to have caught himself and immediately stopped. He took a deep breath.

I pointed at the door, and finally spoke, "Door's that way."

He smirked. "Finally! She speaks! Here I thought you were a damn mute!" He didn't seem to hear what I said.

"You may leave now. Don't worry. I won't take it against you."

I expected him to grab this golden opportunity. I mean, who does allow themselves to be strung along through a blind date? Unfortunately for me, Edward Cullen was one of them. He moved alright, but he just leaned against the back of his seat. "Sorry missy, but if there's anyone leaving today, it will be you. One wrong move from me and it's buh-bye to my car. Got it?"

_So the car's the bribe. _I frowned at him.

"You don't like me," he pointed out.

I snorted. "Obviously."

He nodded, not a bit insulted. He must have felt the same. So I was a bit perplexed when he grabbed a copy of the menu and started skimming through it. My jaw dropped, my head going _uh-oh_. "We're really going through with this?" _Why can't we just part ways?_

He shrugged, not tearing his eyes away from the menu. "It's just lunch, anyway. Once you get home, you can tell your mom we just didn't click. Don't forget to add that I didn't bail out on you." Before I could say something back, he added, "And that I was a gentleman."

I snorted again.

He looked up at me. "Do you a better idea?"

_Let's just go home, please, and end this pathetic excuse of a date! _But I knew it wasn't any better. I would lose my sanity with Renee's sermons if I do just that.

When I didn't say a word, Edward Cullen smirked at me once more and raised his hand to the waitress. "Good. Let's order."

* * *

I went straight up the stairs when I came home. Drenched from the rain, I decided I would take another bath. As expected, Renee came hovering over me as soon as I entered the front door. "Well, how was the date?"

I paused to give her a short glare. She didn't mind it one bit, probably used to my sour mood. "How was he? Was he nice? Was he cute?" She giggled.

Ugh. _Edward Cullen? Nice?_ _Cute?_No comment.

I badly wanted to close my bedroom door before my mother could come in after me, but decided against it. I was too filial to do something that disrespectful.

"Bella, you weren't rude to him, were you?"

Okay, that was hurtful. "No, mom." I was never rude, I was just not friendly.

"Did you sulk all throughout the meal?"

This was really getting unfair, and infuriating. "I do not sulk." I think.

I was taking my wet jacket off of me when I heard my mother sigh. _I know, mom. We're having this conversation again._

"Did you have fun, at least?" I could hear the sad and hopeful tone in her voice. I knew she only wanted my happiness, but she was doing it all wrong. "Bella?"

_No. _

I grabbed my towel and my bag of toiletries before dashing out for the bathroom. "I'm going to take a bath." I didn't wait for her to ask me more questions.

When I was finally alone in the small enclosed space of our second floor bathroom, I let out my angry tears. I wanted to drown myself in my bath water if that was possible.

The date I had earlier was Renee's fourth attempt in finding me a "real man". At each attempt, she made it sure to mention that Jake wasn't a "real man".

_Jake. _I angrily slapped the surface of the water with my hand as the name echoed in my head. This was his entire fault. I leaned my head against the edge of the tub, contemplating the right emotion for Jake: anger, for leaving me behind; envy, for moving on without me; or sadness, for a love that didn't have its happily ever after.

Then there was self-pity. I was being pathetic, still thinking of him after two years.

_He's an ass, and I was wrong about him! _I told myself that over and over as I scrubbed myself hard and finished my bath.

* * *

"Is he gorgeous?" Trust Alice to ask this question.

"He's okay," I replied. I didn't really assess my date earlier, but I supposed he wasn't an eyesore.

"Well, that's fine. I really didn't want you to like him."

"Really?" I was doubtful of that. If there was anyone more determined to see me in a relationship than my mother, it would be my best friend Alice.

"Yes. I wouldn't trust the male population there in Forks. It is wiser to look here in Seattle," she stated with that perky voice of hers.

I groaned. "Alice, I do not trust the male population in general, and I am not looking." With that, a change of topic was called for. "So, how's your summer vacation?"

I could tell she was smiling from the other line. "It's very productive. I've already made a very compromising list of guys that would compliment you. We can start with..."

A change of topic, indeed."Hey, I have to go. Bye, Alice. Love you." I ended the call.

* * *

I was really expecting to have another date with another guy. That was the supposedly my mother's game plan: anyone Bella didn't like, he's out. So for the first time in years, I had a date, not a blind date, since I've already met this guy.

My fingers tapped the linen-covered table, my patience wearing thin. _He's late! _I had been in the restaurant for thirteen minutes, and was thinking which would be better - for Edward Cullen to finally arrive, or for him to not show up at all. I have never been stood up on a date before, and although this was not a serious one, I found myself humiliated sitting alone waiting.

Another minute and he finally showed up, looking ashamed and quite guilty, to my surprise.

He avoided my gaze. "I'm sorry I'm late."

I knew I should have tried to be less hostile, but then I remembered why I was with him for the second time. "Some great plan you have." Sarcasm coated each word.

His eyes immediately met mine. "Hey, it's not my fault my mom is being a big pain. I'm telling you, I'm stuck at this." He ran his right hand through his hair, "Why don't _you_ walk away? Even if you'll lose that monster of a truck of yours, it won't be that much of a loss."

I ignored the insult on my truck. What did he know? "I'm stuck at this too. If this doesn't work out, my mom will surely find another pathetic single guy who could be threatened by the thought of losing his car."

I clearly struck a nerve since his smile faltered, but then he smirked, his eyes impish, "Your mom has to threaten a guy to go out with you? That's sad."

Damn this man. I frowned.

Silence loomed over our table for a minute, and then he sighed. "Look, you know I only act like a jerk because you're being all snotty, right?"

I nodded. I considered that as a truce.

We gave our orders then, not minding each other. After our server left, Edward surprised me once again with a question, his tone curious and not insulting this time. "Can't you tell your mom to stop this nonsense?" He seemed to be pleading with me.

"I did, but she just wouldn't quit. It feels like I have to wait until I've dated every single guy here in Forks before she stops." I didn't bother telling him about Alice. That was another problem.

"Just how many guys have you gone out with?" he asked.

"You're the fourth." This was getting embarrassing.

"Better you than me," he muttered under his breath. He looked quite embarrassed as well. "You're my seventh."

_Seven blind dates? What is wrong with him?_ "What is wrong with you?"

"There's nothing with me," he said, getting defensive. "My mom is just having delusions of me settling down."

"Settling down? You mean, we were set up together to settle down?" This was getting worse. _Who said anything about marriage? Why am I still here?_

"No! It's not like that. She just wants me to have a girlfriend."

That was when I finally took a good look at Edward Cullen. Saying he just wasn't an eyesore was the understatement of the century, so what was the problem? "You never had a girlfriend before?"

"That's not the case. I had lots of girlfriends..." he started.

_Lots. _Huh.

"...although my mother disagrees with the terminology. She said they were more of just mere acquaintances with a little touch of intimacy." He snorted.

Our food arrived, interrupting me from voicing out my thoughts. My date obviously had some issues... commitment-wise, probably.

Then an idea started evolving in my head. Maybe not a brilliant one, but I was positive it would work.

If I came home swearing I'd never see Edward Cullen again, Renee would surely set me up with another stranger, starting the whole outrageous process all over again: the pep talk before the date, meeting the new guy, the date itself, messing up the date, telling my mom how I messed up the date, the sermons and tears, the hopes and dreams, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.

Then when summer ends, I would be able to get away from Renee only to be stuck with Alice before the holidays, and I would then again be tortured with blind dates from the university.

So what if I do go out with Edward Cullen? That would cease all these blind date terror.

I cleared my throat before speaking. "I have a proposition to make."

His brow raised in question.

"We could make this work," I motioned my hand to the two of us.

He looked confused at first, before understanding came slowly. "So you just decided I would be the lucky guy you'd stick with?"

"Well, I didn't exactly decide that. Don't you want to make this work?"

He was silent for a while, contemplating. "No offense, but I don't. I'm just not interested in being in a relationship right now."

I didn't take offense, just as he asked. I was relieved, "Exactly."

"What? I thought..."

"I have a plan. A proposition, as I've said. We can make it look like we're going out, but we're actually _not_."

He quickly got it. "A pretense..."

I nodded, giving him time to think it through.

After a minute, he smiled. "Okay...so I just basically have to act like your boyfriend, right?"

"Right. Then your car is free. No more threats and blind dates and yacking of you being a pathetic single man."

His smile got wider. "That sounds good."

I smiled too, "But of course, there are conditions."

That got him, "Conditions?" A brow rose up again.

"Well, we have to make this long enough to convince everyone it's a real deal." I was pretty sure a couple of weeks would be laughable to Renee.

"How long?"

"Six months," I decided. If I could prove that I was capable of being in a relationship that long, my mom and my best friend wouldn't feel the need to worry about me anymore.

"Six months? Are you serious? I've never been with a girl that long, or even half that long! A month is like an eternity of hell. I'd surely suffocate..."

_Woah. He obviously has some major problems. _"It's not like we have to be together everyday. We don't even have to have dates. We just have it _make it look_ like we do. Plus, once summer is over, I have to head back to Seattle, so we won't be seeing each other by then."

That calmed him down. "Six months. So it ends before the New Year."

I nodded. It was mid-June.

"How will this end? It better not be my fault..."

I thought it over for a second. "Well, we could say we just fell apart, with school and everything else. That sounds like a reasonable explanation." It didn't escape my mind that this was exactly what Jake had said when he suddenly decided to leave me.

Edward looked doubtful then, probably having a decision-making discourse inside his head. He swirled the pasta round and round his fork.

Our food was getting cold due to my plan making, but if he would agree, it would be worth it.

I looked up from my own plate when his swirling stopped. Edward was looking back at me, smiling. "I would love to pretend to be your boyfriend, Bella."

That was the first time he said my name. "Then you have yourself a fake girlfriend, Edward."


	2. Good Time to Start Rehearsals

Thank you for reading this.

Disclaimer: All characters, plots, and settings related to Twilight are the property of Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended by the author.

* * *

**Chapter Two**

**Now is a Good Time to Start Rehearsals**

* * *

Answering my mother's questions when I came home last night made me cringe. I had to smile, just enough to make it to look convincing, and say good things about Edward Cullen. Muttered, to be exact. I would never gush about a guy after the second date, and I doubt I would _ever_ gush about Edward Cullen. There were a few times I just shrugged, thinking it would be better if I make it look like Edward was into me than the other way around. Although how a guy would be into me, I had no idea. Renee ended the inquisition when I told her I gave Edward my number. She was quite satisfied with herself. I heard her stumbling over to the phone right after that, probably calling Edward's mom. _Gossip Girls._

My night should have been peaceful, the blind date nightmare gone. Instead I dreamed of Jake.

It was worse.

* * *

The next day I tried, once again, to look for a summer job. I didn't have many options. There was just not enough activity in Forks, and I was afraid I'd end up doing nothing until September.

Renee didn't help either, trying to make me stay at home and chat about Edward Cullen. I declined. What was there to chat about? If I didn't know any better, I'd say she wanted to date him. Lately all she could talk about was guys – guys my age. I wonder how my dad felt about that. Not that my parents are an example of an old couple living in blissful love. Sure, Charlie and Renee are friends, but I never saw them as how I wanted to see myself years from now – married and living in blissful love.

Ugh. I couldn't believe I thought about that again. I had scratched that vision off a long time ago.

After my unsuccessful job search, I isolated myself in the comforts of my bedroom, door locked.

After two years of college, away from my parents, it felt so nostalgic to be in my bedroom. Bittersweet. Childhood toys and high school trinkets invaded most of the space, each one tied to a memory of the past. I eyed my cork board, which still held brochures of universities I wanted to attend, photos of my high school graduation, and a few 'to-do' lists I had back then. I should have thrown that out. I remembered clearing my cork board the summer before my first semester of college, pulling out photos of Jake and dramatically burning them outside, only to be stopped by the rain. It was futile, my clearing out of things that would remind me of him. Even though they were gone, memories of him still played in head, like a long sickening movie. It was sad, depressing, and annoying, playing over and over and _over_ again.

Just like now. Sickening.

I rushed downstairs, hoping my mother could distract me. She looked up from the TV and smiled. "Bella, don't you have a date today?"

"No." I tried to hide the disgusted grimace on my face.

She looked confused then, and a bit pained. "But I thought you and Edward are getting along."

I rolled my eyes. "We just had dinner last night, mom."

Apparently, that wasn't enough for her. "Today is another day, Bella." She stood up from the couch. "I will go call Esme right now..."

"No!" I nearly screamed. Really, this mommy's intervention thing was so not cool. I did not want to see Edward Cullen three days in a row. "I mean, it's fine, mom. He's busy, I think."

"He's busy?"

I shrugged. "Yeah, he sent me a text earlier." Lie.

My mom calmed down, settling herself back on the sofa, smiling once again. "Really? That's so sweet of him."

_Sweet? A text message? _At least it was so easy to please my mother. Sometimes.

"What did he say?"

_What did he say? _"Um... just some stuff..." Renee kept looking at me expectantly. "...about him..." _Huh? _"...about his day..." I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. I was usually bad at lying. I should have kept my mouth shut.

"Oh, I'm sorry, honey. I shouldn't pry." She giggled. "What happens between the two of you is private."

Huh. This may be easier than I thought.

"Yeah, mom. Private." I nodded, giving her a knowing smile, like being two friends sharing a secret. Relieved she wouldn't pry again, I settled on the couch beside her and watched TV.

* * *

Edward did have a nice car. I found myself seated beside him in his silver Volvo three days after our dinner. He called me last night and said he needed to go out with me. It was strange, having a guy say he _needed _to go out with you rather than he _wanted _to. Apparently, his mother suggested he'd take me out for the day since it wasn't raining. Because I still needed to look for a job, I said yes.

I decided to take my mom's advice and offer babysitting jobs for the summer. I was desperate. Renee's a pre-school teacher, and she gave me a list of my potential clients. Since I had nothing better to do, I decided to personally introduce myself to the mothers and offer my services.

Our first stop was the Stanley's. I got out of the car and headed straight to the house. It was Jessica, a high school classmate of mine, who answered the door. After a few awkward greetings and hair twirling on her part, I found out her mom was not around. I didn't bother giving her my number. I doubt Mrs. Stanley would hire me when Jessica's around to look after her siblings. Really, why haven't I thought of this earlier? _Stupid Bella._

Just before I turn around, she noticed Edward's car parked on their front lawn. "Is that Edward Cullen?"

I nodded.

"He's with you?"

I nodded again.

She pointed one glossy pink painted finger at me. "You're with him?"

_Please, no. _I couldn't believe I was experiencing this. "Yeah, yeah. I know. It's funny," I said with a straight face. I should have known I would have to deal with this. Edward did say he had a lot of girlfriends, and then there's the fact that he looks way out of my league.

"No, no... that's not what I meant, Bella."

I raised a brow.

"It's just..." She looked behind me before meeting my gaze again. I was expecting jealousy or annoyance from her eyes, and yes there _was_ jealousy and there _was _annoyance, but there was something else. "...nothing. It's nothing."

I nodded, confused, and said goodbye. When I was back inside the car and Edward drove us away from the Stanley's, I realized the other emotion in Jessica's eyes. It was pity.

* * *

After two more stops of my door-to-door babysitting campaign, I had Edward drive me to Newton's Outfitters a few miles away. It was my dad who told me to check it out. The store was small, but was fully packed with outdoor equipments. However, there was no one behind the counter. There was a door at the back of the room, and whoever was on duty must be in there.

I waited near the cash register, wondering if I really was up to a job in this kind of store. Anything outdoor is practically alien to me.

Surprisingly, Edward came inside with me. He has been so quiet today, only answering when I asked questions. He looked bored, so I was glad he got out of his car and looked around the store.

Not a minute passed and the back door opened. Mike Newton appeared. Huh. Today seemed to be my high school reunion. Then again this was Forks. Everyday could be reunion day. I waved when he walked towards me with a big smile. "Bella!"

"Hey, Mike."

"What can I do for you?"

"Well, I was hoping you'd have a job opening here that I can..."

One moment Mike was smiling at me, the next he was suddenly barking at someone behind my back. "Hey, you! No touching of the display!"

I turned to see Edward, who looked like a deer caught in the headlights. He immediately shoved his hands behind his back and slowly walked away from the shelf. He acted like it was no big deal, but I never saw him looking that weak and vulnerable before, like an insecure kid. Not that I've seen a lot of him, but I never thought I would.

I looked back at Mike and saw the obvious animosity in his glare. Before I could ask him what the hell just happened, he went back to smiling at me again like everything was peachy perfect. I knew Mike back in high school, and so I knew he could be quite annoying, but I never saw this hostile side of him. I forgot about the job, I just wanted to leave. I was disgusted."Mike, never mind... I'll just... um..."

His smile faltered. "I'm so sorry, Bella. Did I scare you?"

I was speechless.

"I'm sorry. You shouldn't have seen that."

I searched hard for my voice until I found it. "No. You shouldn't have done that."

Mike's smile was gone by now. "It's fine. It's Cullen." He shrugged, like that was supposed to be a valid reason.

"He didn't do anything wrong, Mike. He was just..."

Edward's voice was soft behind me when he interrupted. "Bella, can we just leave now, please?" He sounded tired.

I didn't turn away from Mike, determined to finish my speech, but then Mike was now looking like the deer that was caught in the headlights.

"He's with you?" he asked, looking quite shocked still. _I've heard that question before._

I nodded.

He pointed a finger at me. "You're with him? You're with _Cullen_?"

_Not again! _I suppressed a groan.

He went on, leaning towards me. "Bella, you don't know what you're getting yourself into. Have you talked to half of the girls here recently? Cullen has only been here a couple of summers and he's already a well known shit. Sure he has the money and you girls dig his brooding looks, but seriously, Bella, he's fucked up. He'll just have you chase him around in a wild goose chase until he gets sick and tired of you, the way he did to those girls..." He paused to take a breath.

"Go on, Newton. Keep pretending I can't hear you."

I almost jumped to the sound of Edward's calm voice. Even Mike looked embarrassed for a second. I knew it was rude, but curiosity got the better of me. I was mortified with myself. I was actually paying attention to Mike and forgot Edward who was standing just a few feet behind me.

Mike cleared his throat. "So, Bella, let me talk to my mom. I can call you sometime and we could..."

"No, Mike. Thank you, but I don't think this is the right job for me." I gave him a weak smile and hurriedly walked out of the store.

Edward followed, not saying anything. When we got back to the car, I glanced at him from the corner of my eyes. He didn't seem to be mad. He looked downright bored again. At least he didn't have a temper.

He finally spoke when we arrived at my house. "You don't have to change your mind working at Newton's because of what happened today."

"It's okay. I wasn't interested at the first place."

He didn't seem to believe me. "Right." _Sarcasm._

"Really. I mean, can you imagine me surrounded by camping gears all day, with Mike barking like a guard dog here and there? I have never even camped before..." I let that trail off, hesitant to mention anything more about Mike Newton. We fell into silence. I really wanted to ask him about what Mike said in the store, but was scared that would only trigger Edward to unleash some hidden anger or annoyance of the topic, or of Mike.

He was still quiet though, which was different from the other times I was with him.

It was after a moment when he spoke again. "Hey, do you really think this will work out?"

We were still in his car, so I turned to look at him, a bit confused. "What? Us?" Was he backing out? Is that why he was so quiet today? "Sure. Why not?"

He released his hold of the stirring wheel, and turned to face me. "Well, I don't know you." He made a little frown. "The other night, my mom kept talking about you during dinner, where you go to school, your favorite food, your strange fear of blood, even how you wanted your eggs to be cooked, _everything_. But I don't know you, and I couldn't say a single word back. I'm going to mess this up, and you'll be going down with me. I don't think I can..."

Okay. I agreed that was a problem, but not enough to give up the plan. "Don't worry. We supposedly just started dating. We're not supposed to know each other very well," I said softly, wondering how things became so depressingly serious. This was supposed to be just a game to fool our mothers.

He rolled his eyes. "Sure. Then I can assume from my mom's intensive knowledge on every aspect of your life, you two are more than tight buddies."

Huh. I had to admit it was kind of freaky having Edward's mother know that much about me. I haven't even met the woman. I needed to stop Renee from talking too much. Maybe my dad could help me with that. Our phone bill has surely skyrocketed because of her calls.

Anyways, that would have to be dealt with later. "It's not that big of a problem. We both knew this would entail some work. A little research, practice, and careful planning and they would never suspect anything."

He thought about it for a while before nodding. "Okay, okay. Just don't make me watch some cheap romantic flick for this..."

I glared at him. Like I though of that.

Silence loomed over us once again.

A moment later and I heard Edward chuckle. He was now smiling, his first today. Something seemed to be funny to him.

"What?" I asked.

"Are you... I mean, were you and Mike...?" He raised his brows suggestively.

_Gross! _"No!"

He laughed out loud then, obviously amused by the idea of Mike and me together, or the way I cried out no. I waited in silence as he went on laughing, not really seeing the humor. When he looked back at my direction, his laughter suddenly stopped. He was still smiling though, but I saw him looking a bit frightened for a second there.

"Your mom is looking at us through the window," he said.

_Renee is watching us?_ I was on the verge of turning my head around when Edward stopped me.

"Don't look!"

"What? Why?" I felt my neck stiffen at the interdicted action, and I could admit I must have looked funny.

He chuckled, which was unexpected. My eyes narrowed at him.

"Well," he said. "Let's just say now is a good time to start rehearsals." A crooked smile appeared on his face.

"Rehearsals?"

"Uh-huh."

And before I could figure out what that meant, he was already leaning towards me. I still couldn't quite move my neck when his face came inches from mine; his lips gently touched my cheek.

It lasted for only a second.

He leaned back, still smiling. "Goodbye, Bella. I'll call you, okay?"

I had no idea how my face looked at that moment, but I was pretty sure I wasn't amused. A blush crept over my face without permission, and Edward Cullen had the nerve to wink at me. Speechless, I hurriedly got out of his car, almost stumbling in the process.

My mother's loud squeal welcomed me home.


	3. I Just Wanted to Know

Thank you to the readers for simply reading my blabbering, and bigger thanks to those who dropped a review.

Disclaimer: All characters, plots, and settings related to Twilight are the property of Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended by the author.

* * *

**Chapter Three**

**I Just Wanted to Know**

* * *

Listening to my mother sing pop songs was so horrible it was like a combination of two awful things. Not that my mom is awful, just pop songs and her singing of said songs.

We were on our way home from our weekly grocery shopping, Renee driving and singing along with the radio. She was still feeling high over seeing Edward Cullen kiss me on the cheek yesterday. _Eh_. It was just a kiss – _on the cheek_. My mom said it was a big deal though, and declared that it was my first kiss. Yeah, my first kiss in two years, I told her. I took my time reminding her of that sneaky lanky boy who first kissed me back in sixth grade, and of course, there was Jake. Renee just harrumphed; saying there was nothing more romantic or first-kiss worthy than Edward Cullen kissing my cheek inside his silver Volvo in front of our house after he drove me around town offering babysitting jobs. Romantic. Right. And she didn't even know what truly happen with that kiss.

_Ha ha. Poor clueless Renee, I got you fooled._

And so I let her sing, as I basked in the glorious result of my secretive plan.

Just after Renee finished her second pop song, my phone rang. It was Edward calling. I pushed the red button, thinking it wouldn't be safe to answer the call with Renee seated right beside me.

"Why won't you answer the call, sweetie?"

I shrugged. "It's not urgent."

"Who called?"

Truth or lie? Hmm. "Edward." It was better to admit he called, giving proof that he does call me.

"Well, why did you not pick up? Are you two having a fight?" My mom frowned for the first time since yesterday afternoon. "What happened? Should I talk to Esme?"

I sighed. Really, if this relationship was real, it would definitely go downhill because of our nosy mothers. "No, mom. We are not fighting. I'll call him back later, I promise."

Renee eyed me curiously, probably trying to figure out if I was just making an excuse. I was about to assure her again, but my phone's ringing interrupted me. Edward was calling again.

"Bella, don't be rude. Answer the call."

I grimaced. Why did Edward have to call now? It was really bad timing.

"If you're embarrassed to talk to your boyfriend on the phone because I'm here, I assure you, Bella, that I am one hundred percent supportive of your relationship."

_Like that wasn't obvious enough._ I pressed the red button again. _Boyfriend. _Huh.

But avoiding his phone call was a moot point since he was there at our doorstep when we arrived home. Whatever reason he kept calling, it was apparently urgent. Renee was grinning when we parked the truck. I immediately went over to Edward.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

He glanced behind me, probably checking if my mom was close. "We need to talk."

Knowing this was about our cloak-and-dagger mission, I suggested we go someplace else to have this conversation.

We ended up going to the only coffee shop in Forks. Just as we reached the door, a tall blond woman came out. Rosalie Hale. I knew her from high school, only a year older than me. She wasn't anything back then, neither a cheerleader nor one of those bitchy popular kids. She was too beautiful to be either. She was just Rosalie Hale. She didn't seem to recognize me though. She did, however, know Edward.

"Edward, I thought you're with Emmett right now," she said as she paused in front of us.

"I'd probably be there later," Edward replied.

Rosalie nodded, smiling. When she turned to look at me, her smile grew wider. "Ah. The rumors are true, then."

I looked up at Edward. _Rumors? _He rolled his eyes. "Rosalie, this is Bella. Bella, Rosalie."

The two of us exchanged pleasantries before she said goodbye and left, her smile never leaving her face.

We chose a table at a deserted corner, needing the space and the silence. Edward seemed to be a bit troubled, his hand going through his hair very often. It was making me nervous. "What is it?"

"My friend Emmett found out."

_WHAT? _"WHAT?"

"Shh...you're too loud." His eyes roamed around the room.

"What? How? Did you tell him? You know this town is as small as my fist, Edward, and word spreads like wildfire..."

He instantly looked offended. "Of course not. He probably heard it from some kid who got the news from Newton."

Mike? What did Mike know about this? "Wait. What exactly does your friend know?"

Edward sighed exasperatedly. "That I have a new girlfriend, and that's you."

I badly wanted to whack his head then. "Uh, Edward, that's the point. That's what we're trying to work on."

"You don't understand. This is Emmett." His hand went through his hair again. "If there's someone I can't fool, it's him. He knows my shit. He wouldn't believe any of this, and probably think I've gone mental. It would be better to just let him in on the secret."

I shook my head. "No. We can't afford to have someone know. If we make this one exception, I'm pretty sure there will be others that would follow. Soon we would lose control of the situation, and we'll get busted."

"We'll get busted, anyway, with Emmett. He already called me this morning, asking about you. The last time we talked, before all this, I told him I will be flying solo for awhile. He found out sooner than I wanted," he said. "And just my damn luck that Rosalie saw us together today. She'd tell Emmett for sure, and he would nag me to let him see you, and that is not a good thing!"

How hard could it be, I thought. My biggest concern was Renee. As long as I was out of her constant insistence that I should move on from Jake, I was okay. I shrugged off the problem. "We'll deal with it when we absolutely have to."

Edward narrowed his eyes at me, not satisfied with my decision.

"Loosen up, Edward. This was supposed to get rid of our problem, not to add more," I said.

He did loosen up, although he looked a bit defeated. That was when I noticed that one of the two waitresses was eying Edward from two tables away. Interesting. _I wonder..._

"Hey, is that waitress your ex or something?"

"No," he said. He didn't even turn around, still pouting about his dilemma with his buddy. I found it strange. _Hmm._ Maybe waitresses weren't his type.

"What about that girl?" I pointed at a table on the opposite corner. She was young and blond, and a bit chirpy like Alice.

"I doubt it," he answered. He still didn't turn around.

"What about her?" This time it was a woman sitting near our table. She looked to be in her late twenties, or early thirties. Perhaps Edward was one of those guys who prefer older women.

He didn't need to turn around to see who I was referring to; she was in his field of vision. "No! Bella, stop it." He frowned. "In spite of what you might think, I didn't date every girl in this town. That is just sick."

"But Mike said..."

His jaw dropped. "You actually believed him?"

Okay, so maybe I was guilty of that. "But _you_ said you had lots of girlfriends..."

He sighed, raking his hair at the same time. "We just moved here two years back, and I've only stayed here during summers. I don't know more than half of the girls here. I didn't even know you."

I nodded. He had a point.

At that moment, the door opened and in came another customer. I have seen the face more than a dozen times two years ago. Quil. I froze on my seat, my eyes locked on his dark head. He went straight to the counter, not giving me a glance. I knew I was being pathetic again. Even then, when I was with Jake, I was never comfortable with his friends, and I knew the feeling was mutual. I was sure they howled like a pack of wild dogs when Jake broke it off with me.

"Bella?"

I turned my attention back to Edward. "What?"

"I said you don't have to worry about any of my ex's going after you. They were more than happy when they left me."

I stared at him. We have that in common.

We finished our drinks, just talking about his friend Emmett. Just before I left his car when we arrived back at my house, I asked. "So, when should we meet again?"

He sighed, and shrugged me off. "I don't know. Probably next week. I'm busy this weekend."

* * *

Two days after I last saw Edward, I was on my first babysitting job. I didn't think anyone would actually call and hire me, but Mrs. Crowley did. Maybe it was because I have the advantage of being a college student; she thought I would be better than the younger sitters.

It was Saturday and raining when I stayed at the Crowley's for the whole afternoon. Since I was an only child, looking after a seven year old boy was new and interesting to me.

I was home by five o'clock, quite proud for a job well done. After Renee congratulated me, I looked for my dad. He wasn't around. I knew I shouldn't have asked - I already had a clue where Charlie was -but I still did.

"Oh," my mom answered. "You know your dad. He's staying late at the headquarters, as usual."

I nodded. It was a lie. Charlie was at La Push again. I decided not to dwell on that direction of thought, and headed to the kitchen. "So, we'll be having dinner for two. What do you want to eat, mom?" I opened the freezer and checked what our options were.

Renee followed after me, giggling. "I think you're forgetting something, honey."

I turned around. _I forgot something? _

It was clear I had no idea what she was talking about. "Bella, we know Edward didn't ask you, but I think you'll be alright meeting Esme..."

"What? What are you...?" _Oh, no. Oh, no._

"...it will be like a surprise birthday party..." Renee continued.

_Birthday party? Esme's? Edward's?_

"...it will mean so much more to him if you are there..."

_Him? Edward? Birthday? Today? Now?_

"...so why don't you go upstairs and get ready and we'll leave in half an hour."

_Half an hour?_

"Bella? You do know it's Edward's birthday today, don't you?"

_NO! _"Of course." I cleared my throat. "I just forgot." I might have to strangle a birthday boy today.

* * *

The drive to the Cullen's felt like purgatory. I cursed at myself for leaving my phone behind. If only I warned Edward of what was to happen. We were not ready for this. But then this could have been prevented if Edward mentioned it was his birthday today. He only said he was busy. Huh. The strangling plan was still on-hold.

We arrived ten minutes later, in front of a huge white mansion that I never thought existed in a small town like Forks. The whole place looked pristine and peaceful, the complete opposite of the inner turmoil that was raging inside of me. I couldn't quite take in the beauty of the house. I was too nervous. Renee, on the other hand, was obviously excited.

"Smile, Bella," she said. "You look sick. Are you alright?"

Before I could tell her I was fine, the front door opened and I was suddenly wrapped around an unfamiliar set of arms. It was Esme. And before I could regain my wits and maybe hug her back, she has already released me.

"Bella, it's so nice to finally meet you. I heard so much about you, from Renee and of course from my boy." Her voice was gentle and sweet, much like her smile, or her whole self, to be truthful. It made me wonder how she and my mother interacts, Renee a bit eccentric and hyper.

"It's nice to meet you, too," I greeted back, and it was true. Esme was somehow making my frazzled nerves settle down.

She then exchanged hugs and squeals with my mom, both acting like a pair of separated twins reunited at last, despite the fact that they just talked on the phone before we left home.

It was then I noticed Edward, standing just a few feet away, looking quite surprised. I couldn't blame him. This was definitely a surprise party. His bewildered eyes darted from me to my mom to his mom, before going back to me.

I noticed Renee and Esme seemed to have stopped talking, everyone in the room awkwardly quiet. Edward still looked dead frozen on his feet, and that left me to do the first step. I slowly walked over to him, my eyes never leaving his. Standing in front of him, I stood on my tiptoes, and lightly kissed his right cheek. "Happy birthday, Edward." I was successful in making my greeting sound like a deadly threat.

He nodded once, still a bit dazed.

Then the squeals started again. Renee.

"Hi, Mrs. Swan," Edward greeted my mom, his voice a bit muted. At least he was now recovering from the shock.

"Please, call me Renee, Edward." She smiled at Edward before whispering something to Esme, and both women burst into a giggling fit. I was really getting tired of my mom's giggling.

I looked up at Edward, and it was clear we were both horrified with our mothers.I was greatly tempted to call this whole thing off and just walk away.

"Do you want a tour of the house?" he asked.

I nodded, quite vehemently, thankful he understood my urgent need to get away from Renee. The giggles grew louder as Edward led me out of the foyer and into the living room.

"Why didn't you tell me it's your birthday today?" I hissed at him, looking over my shoulder to make sure we weren't being followed.

"What am I, five? Do you want your Barney invitation card, Bella?" he hissed back. "You were not supposed to find out."

"And why not? I thought you understand how this works. Don't you think I should know when your birthday is? I didn't even know until my mom told me just minutes ago."

"Bella, it's just my birthday, and it's not like I told Esme you didn't know. I just told her I wasn't inviting you over because it was too early for you to be here and meet her."

I frowned. "Well, I'm sorry I came over uninvited."

He sighed. "It's not that I don't want you here, but you know how it is. It's bad enough my mom asked me to stay at home today just because it's my birthday. You shouldn't have felt the need to come here."

"I felt the need to come here? I was forced! I looked like an idiot not knowing what was happening." The frown didn't leave my face, and I felt my hands forming into fists. I didn't want to be here either.

"Edward?" Esme's gentle voice startled me, and both Edward and I turned around at the same time. The frown was instantly gone, and I was forced to make a small smile. I could only assume Edward's face was a replica of mine. It all seemed so phony. "Dinner will be ready in a couple of minutes." She smiled – genuinely – and left the room. If she noticed anything amiss, she didn't mention it.

Today was just a week after my first date with Edward, but this set-up was already getting tiring. Maybe my idea wouldn't work after all.

"Bella, would you have told me it was your birthday if you were in my shoes?"

I gave it a thought. My first answer was a definite yes, knowing this – our situation now – would happen if I wouldn't. Then again, given my easily embarrassed nature, maybe I wouldn't tell him. I wasn't fond of celebrating my birthdays, even when I was younger, and I was pretty sure I never mentioned my birthday to random strangers, even to my friends.

I looked at Edward, still feeling a bit annoyed but quite resigned now. "Okay, you're off the hook."

He smiled. "Thanks."

"But please inform me if something like this happens again. It's not like I would crash in here with cakes and balloons and clowns. I just wanted to know. I don't want to be taken by surprise again."

"I was the one surprised, Bella."

I rolled my eyes. "That's what you get for not telling me."

Esme's voice, loud from the kitchen, interrupted us once again. "Dinner's ready!"

Pretending in front of my mom was enough to make me restless. Now I had to deal with Renee _and_ Esme together. I took a deep breath.

"You're nervous?" Edward's voice was soft beside me.

"Yeah," I admitted.

"That makes the two of us. I thought I was the only one. I almost jumped when my mom came in earlier. Speaking of which, she might have figured something was wrong." He sighed. "This isn't as easy as I thought it would be."

"Hey, we could always say we just had a lovers' spat," I shrugged.

He chuckled. "True." He stepped forward and looked back at me, his hand out for me to take. "Come on. Time to show them we've made up."

I must have stared at his hand longer than necessary.

"You really didn't think we could pass as a couple without physical contact, did you?" His brow raised in question.

I blushed. _It's just a hand, Bella._ I slowly placed my hand in his, my eyes taking in on the touch. My mind automatically analyzed the sensation of having a hand surround mine. I couldn't think of the right words, but I could concede it wasn't an awful feeling.

I looked up and smiled at Edward. "Okay, I'm ready. You better show your Oscar-worthy performance this time."

He snorted. "Ha!" He then led me to the dining hall, and before we showed ourselves to our mothers, he tightened his hold on me.

Not awful indeed.

* * *

"Is this the part where I have to say a few cheesy lines?" Edward asked.

His birthday dinner was over and my mom and I were about to go home. Renee and Esme were standing by the front door, saying goodbye like there's no tomorrow. I shifted my weight to my other foot, leaning against the door of my truck, relieved and tired at the same time. The dinner went well, to my surprise. The talk went around Esme's interior design projects, and Edward made sure the topic stayed there by asking more and more questions to his mother. It could have been fun, if I wasn't so nervous.

"A simple 'thank you' would be enough," I said.

"Sure. Thanks. For almost killing me with a fucking heart attack earlier..."

"Edward," I chided. "That's mean, and you're exaggerating. Try again."

He rolled his eyes. "Okay. Thanks. It's so nice to have my make-believe girlfriend _and _her mother come over for _my_ birthday party. Do you want a goodie bag?"

I glared at him, shaking my head. "You can do better than that, Edward."

He glared back at me before he sighed, his eyes looking down. He was quiet for a while. And then, "Thank you for coming, Bella. I'm sorry I didn't tell you it was my birthday today." His voice was casual, his hands inside his pockets, but I knew he meant it. In some way, I could tell the difference.

I smiled up at him. "Perfect."

He chuckled. "So, now, can we get to the next part?"

"What's that?" I asked.

He leaned forward and brushed his lips on my cheek for the second time, but unlike the first, this lasted a little longer. Just a wee bit. However, like before, I blushed without consent, occurring as if on cue.

Edward laughed. "Now that's a wrap. Goodnight, Bella."

He was still chuckling when I got inside the truck, my face flushed.


	4. Talk About Immaturity

Disclaimer: All characters, plots, and settings related to Twilight are the property of Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended by the author.

* * *

**Chapter Four**

**Talk About Immaturity**

* * *

Despite of the long night I just had, I couldn't go to sleep. I lay in bed, awake, thinking of things that I wanted to do. I needed to find a job, anything aside from babysitting. Lounging around the house was getting really boring, and although I was in the scholarship program at the university, I needed money for expenses. I also wanted to teach my mom how to cook. She and Charlie needed better food when I'm not around.

The sound of my dad's cruiser interrupted my thoughts. He spent the whole evening in La Push, probably watched a game with Billy and Harry, as usual.

I didn't get up, staying comfortable on my bed.

A few minutes later, still wide awake, I heard my mom's voice. They were downstairs, and arguing. Strange. My parents do not argue – well, not often. Charlie prefers silence in confrontations, and Renee knew that well enough that she doesn't bother confronting. I listened to their quite heated conversation, picking out words from both of them. They were talking about La Push, and me. I listened harder. Renee said my dad was being insensitive by always going to the reservation.

"Don't you think about Bella and how she feels?" my mom asked.

I made a face in the darkness. _What do I feel? _Yes, any mention about La Push makes me uncomfortable, but I wasn't that psychotic to stop my dad from going there just because of that.

Charlie grumbled, and said something I couldn't hear clearly. I felt bad for him. He had done nothing wrong. I was the only one with a problem. I was the one who shied away from the place that held so much to me years back.

La Push was beautiful, warm and breezy and bright. In my younger years, I've been there countless times. Like a tradition, Charlie and I would drive to that coastal reservation every Saturday morning. The radio would be on, its sound filling the gap between us. I would look out the window to take in the passing view. My dad and I would stay there until late afternoon, him with his friends, and I with his friends' children. I wasn't very sociable even then, but the La Push kids didn't mind. They would do their own thing while I watch them contentedly.

Then there was Jake. A lot of growing up happened, and then love. A day in La Push felt like Christmas then. Charlie was happy, and so was I.

But a Saturday after my high school graduation ended all that holiday-like joy, and everything that happened in La Push became one huge horrible nightmare. I've never been there ever since.

My parents' argument went on. I thought of one more thing I wanted to do this summer. I wanted to go back to La Push, devoid of any nightmare from the past.

Days passed and I was still unemployed. I had babysat two more kids though, but the shadow of a futile summer still followed me. It also didn't help that I didn't have anyone to hang out with. Sure there was my mother, but being with Renee everyday was getting unhealthy. I was constantly having headaches. My best friend Alice was staying at her home in Seattle, and I was too shy to ask her to come visit me. I doubt she would enjoy Forks very much. There was my friend from high school Angela, but she was off somewhere, on a vacation.

Thursday, I was on the brink of insanity due to boredom. I was desperate. I called Edward Cullen. I haven't seen him since his birthday party.

He answered with a "What?"

"Hey, what are you up to?"

"I'm working."

"Oh." He's working? He has a job? Why would he need a job? "Okay."

He didn't say anything back, so I ended the call. I searched for Mike Newton's number.

After lunch, I drove myself to Newton's Outfitters. Mike said the cashier spot was open, and I was more than willing to accept.

"So, you and Cullen, huh?"

"Hello to you too, Mike. Do I get to start working now?" I looked around the store, wincing at the outdoor equipments around.

"So, how long have you two been going out?"

I let out a breath, frustrated. If I wasn't desperate for a job, I would never want to see Mike Newton again.

"I bet you wouldn't last more than a month, Bella."

_Oh, really?_ I couldn't help but smile."Do you want to bet with money, Mike? I bet you a hundred bucks Edward and I would last longer." Hey, why not? I needed money, and with our six months deal, how could I resist?

Mike's eyes grew wide. I smirked, confident.

Just then the front door opened and in came the monster straight out of my nightmare. Jacob Black. I avoided him like a plague for the past two years. Why did he have to show up now? Damn. It took everything in me not to cower and run from where I was standing.

"Oh, good. You're here," Mike said.

I turned back to Mike and decided to act like he was the most fascinating creature on the planet. _Focus, Bella. Keep your eyes away from the monster._

"You can start now, Bella. Closing time is on five. You don't have to do inventory, but you have to close the store before you go. The keys are on that drawer," Mike went on.

I nodded, letting the words passed through my panic-stricken brain. I kept hoping the monster would just get what he wanted and get out of here fast.

"Jake here will be in charge of the stockpiling and tagging and even the customers. You just stand there behind the counter. His shift starts in the afternoon. I'll be here in the mornings."

_He works here? _I felt the air sucked out of my body. My palms started to sweat. Could I quit a job I just started? I looked at Mike; silently pleading he wouldn't leave me here alone with the monster.

"Okay, that's about it. You can just call me if you have questions. See you tomorrow." And with that, he waved and turned around to leave the store.

It was official. This was the worst decision I've ever made.

It was almost five in the afternoon, and I was dying to go home. The whole afternoon was hell, and only six customers came by to distract me. There was once my eyes lost its focus, landing on the monster's hands that were carrying a blue sleeping bag. My mind automatically went back to the days when those hands held mine, and I cursed myself for being pathetic once again. He didn't dare talk to me, and for that I was thankful.

I looked at the clock. Only twelve minutes remained.

The door opened. I was surprised to see that the last customer of the day was Edward Cullen. I raised a brow at him. He raised a brow back, but didn't come over. He walked towards the monster instead, smiling. "Jacob."

I allowed myself to watch the two.

"Hey, Edward," the monster replied, smiling back. "How are you, man? You didn't come over to the rez last weekend. The party was great, lasted 'till three in the morning."

My mind was grasping over the thought of those two as friends as their conversation continued.

Then, "So, what can I help you with? I'm the new salesman here." I hated the pride in the monster's voice. Actually, I hated everything about him, including his very own existence.

Edward smiled. "That's great, but I don't need help with anything. I'm here for the girl." He pointed at my direction.

Huh. I didn't dare see how the monster reacted with that.

When Edward was right in front of me, I asked, "How did you know I'm here?"

He took one of those small and handy flashlights beside the cash register and tinkered it with his hand. "Your mom told me."

"Renee called you?"

"Nope. I dropped by your house and you weren't there. I just thought it was time to show up." He shrugged.

I nodded, thinking of other things to say. I was hoping Edward would stay until I have to close the store. But he turned around and started talking to the monster about the party. _Um, hello? I'm supposed to be your girlfriend. Talk to me. _

Five minutes before closing time, Edward decided to go home. Despite my pleading eyes for him to stay just a little bit longer, he said he didn't have to stick around since I could drive myself home.

Monster left at exactly five o'clock, leaving me alone to close the store.

I arrived home to see Edward's car out front. He was leaning against it, his hand raking through his hair. He has an amused smile on his face.

"Why are you here?" I asked.

"How was work?" he asked with a singsong tone.

"You were just there. It was hell."

I was on my way to the front door there when he said, "The salesman caught your eyes, huh?"

I stopped on my tracks, and slowly turned around to face him. "What?"

He was still looking amused. "You have a crush on Jacob Black, Swan."

Could he be any more wrong? "No!"

He snorted. "Right. You should have seen your face, Bella. Hilarious. You know, you shouldn't be all nervous just because I was there. It's cool, really. Jake's great, although I doubt making out with him inside the back room would really be helpful with this pretense we're doing..." He laughed.

"Edward, stop. Really, I don't like him."

He kept laughing. "Jake and I are good friends. Maybe I can set you up after we're through..."

"Edward, please stop..."

"...he has a girlfriend though. Leah. But they're on and off so maybe it'll work..."

"Shut up! I know, okay? I know who the hell Leah is! She's the bitch I caught that bastard kissing when he was supposed to be my boyfriend! So, just stop it, okay? Stop it. I wasn't nervous because I like him, I was nervous because I didn't want to be stuck there with that traitorous jerk!"

I ran inside the house and slammed the door.

It was harder to go to my work the next day. The morning was bearable since Mike was there and not the monster, but I was sure the afternoon would be dreadful. The previous night was crappy, as well. Somehow, yesterday's events triggered my mind to replay all those horrible memories when I went to sleep. I didn't shed a tear.

I didn't tell my mom or call Alice. I knew what they would say, that I still wasn't over him. But I am, in a way. I didn't want him back. I was just furious, still.

I brought a book at work. When the monster came in for his shift, I didn't move my eyes from the pages. I would be facing another four hours of hell.

It was four thirty when Edward came. _Surprise, surprise._ He ignored the monster who was at the opposite end of the room with a customer.

"You didn't answer my calls last night," he said, his eyes narrowed.

I rolled mine. _Obviously, I didn't want to talk to you, buddy._

He gave the monster a short glance before leaning closer towards me to whisper. "Okay, I got it all wrong, and it was insensitive of me to mention... whatever. The point is I didn't know. Why should I be included in your shit list? I'll shut up, I promise."

I took a step back away from him. "Yeah, yeah. I was just mad yesterday. Sorry I went a little loony on you."

He nodded as he smiled, looking cocky and arrogant. Huh.

"So, what's your plan now?"

I raised a brow. _Plan?_

"Do you want to get back at him?" he whispered.

"No." Talk about immaturity.

He leaned against the counter, looking at the monster who was acting all macho holding something that looked like gas lamps. Ew.

"Bella, come on, two years stuck on shit is just not right."

I groaned. He knew. My mother, once again, made my life more humiliating by spilling out my dirty laundry. I could just hear her words. _Oh, you know my daughter Bella; she's still hung up on puppy love after two years. I know, right? Two years. She's just so sappy. _Huh. Puppy. More like a vicious Rottweiler, fully grown, ready to kill. I love my mom with all my heart, yes, but could she ever shut up?

"I'm not stuck. I'm just feeling a bit of the after-effects."

Edward tilted his head towards me, his lips forming into a mischievous smile. "Do you want to me to beat him up?"

I looked at the monster. He seemed to be a hundred pounds bigger since the last time I saw him. Then I looked at Edward. "Um, not to ruin your egotistical delusions, but I doubt you'll be able to leave breathing at the end of that fight. But, since you two are friends, maybe he'll let you live with a few broken bones."

He snorted.

"Really, it's okay. In some ways, it made sense he chose her over me."

"What?"

I rolled my eyes. "Haven't you seen Leah Clearwater?" _Straight black hair, rich brown skin, almond-shaped eyes, bottle-body, better kisser than Bella Swan Leah Clearwater?_

"I have."

I gave him time to think it through. I've heard the Bella versus Leah comparison for more than a dozen times, and I knew who always won. Leah Clearwater was the prize fighter, and I was just the amateur fledgling.

"So?" he asked.

Damn Edward Cullen for making me say it. "Leah Clearwater can pound me flat any day, Edward."

He frowned. "Hey, no knocking my girlfriend."

That required another eye roll.

We were then interrupted by the customer. Apparently, the monster was done with his sales talk. I shoot Edward a glare to shut him up.

This time, Edward stayed longer, just roaming around the store. He didn't speak to the monster anymore, and I didn't know how I felt about that. He was obviously ignoring his friend for my sake. The monster, however, looked quite uncomfortable, his eyes following Edward. Awkward.

When it was finally five o'clock, the monster hurried to get his bag from the back room. As he walked towards the front door to leave, he nodded towards Edward in goodbye. "Edward."

Edward nodded back, his face unreadable. "Black."


	5. We are Partners Then

As always, I hope you enjoy reading.

Disclaimer: All characters, plots, and settings related to Twilight are the property of Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended by the author.

* * *

**Chapter Five**

**We are Partners Then**

* * *

Edward followed me home, smiling all the way. I glared at him through my side mirror. He laughed. He has been laughing since the monster was out of the store.

Before I could even get out of the truck, he was already leaning against the hood of his car. I gripped my jacket closer to my body as I slowly walked over to him. "All of this may be funny to you, but it really is not for me. You say I'm stuck in shit, but this is _my_ shit, so I'd rather you stay out of it. You seem to get along with him, and yes, I hate his guts so much, I don't want that to change between you two."

His amused face quickly turned sober. "I don't think this is funny."

I snorted.

He sighed. "Okay, so maybe I do find amusement in the situation, but I'm not laughing at _you_. And yes, Jake is a friend, we're buddies, but just because I hang out with him a few times does not make him less of an ass that he is."

I nodded, already tired of the conversation. "Just don't start anything with him because of me..." It was pretty vain of me to say that, but whatever.

"His name is Jacob."

I frowned. "I know that."

He leaned closer to me. His eyes seemed to be searching for something on my face. "I haven't heard you say his name even once."

"I haven't?"

He shook his head, his face still serious. "No, and I don't think you've said it for the past two years. Am I right?"

I hated hearing the name, but I hated saying it more. He was 'monster' or 'dog' or 'shit' to me. I shrugged, my hands forming into fists inside my pockets.

"Tell me his name, Bella."

I just stared at him, my lips smashed together. I could be quite stubborn if I wanted to.

"Say it." Wisps of cold vapor escaped his lips, his voice as cold.

For a second I was a bit stunned, standing there staring up at him. This was a side of Edward I haven't seen before, and with all the casualness gone, I saw his eyes. It was the first time I really took notice of his eyes. Green. _So green..._

I shook my head, urging my mind to get back on track. He seemed to be waiting for me to say something - the name. I turned my head to the right, my mouth shut. I'd really rather not say it.

It took a long moment before he gave up. He leaned back, his face and posture relaxed again. "Alright, I won't force that out of you." The playful smile has surprisingly returned on his face.

I smiled back in thanks, relieved.

"But if you change your mind and you want me to teach him a lesson, call me."

I turned towards the house. "That's suicide, Edward, and I already told you to stay of out of it."

He followed right behind me. "Why not?" Suddenly I felt his arm around my shoulder. "We're friends, aren't we?"

I turned my head to look up at him. _Edward and I? Friends?_ I shook his arm away.

He chuckled, obstinately placing his arm over my shoulder again. "Okay, maybe not. We're partners then." He laughed louder. "Partners in crime."

_Oh, boy. _

"What do you say, Bells?"

I froze on the nickname. A very familiar voice instantly filled my head, and I tried my hardest to push it away. _Hey, Bells! I can't wait to see you, Bells. You're beautiful, Bells. I'm always here for you, Bells. I love you, Bells. I love you._ Crap. My spine felt strained and rigid and I was sure Edward noticed it. I swallowed the lump that was on my throat. "Don't call me that."

He slowly pulled his arm away from me, confusion all over his face. "What? Call you what? Bells?"

Hearing it one more time made me cringe. I quickly hid it with a scowl. "Yes, that."

"Why not?"

I gave him silence. I learned that from my father. He could always get away with my mom's interrogations with silence.

But Edward's eyes instantly narrowed, and I knew he understood the reason. I didn't miss the pity in his gaze, and I hated it. "Bella…" he said my name in a soft voice. He was giving me his pity, his pathetic pity.

My chin jutted upward, my vision slowly blurring with tears of anger. "Don't, Edward. I don't need it. I am fine. I just don't want to hear it, okay?"

"You're fine?" He snorted. "Look at yourself right now. You're bordering on pathetic."

"Stay out of it, Edward."

"After two years, Bella? How long will this last? Don't you know that it's fucking ridiculous seeing you act all messed up just because a guy cheated on you?"

"Shut up, Edward…"

"That was two years ago, Bella! Two fucking years!"

I've heard those same words from my mother and Alice, but hearing it from Edward made me see red. _How dare him! _"Shut up! So maybe I am a little messed up, but I have a reason, damn it! I gave everything to that ungrateful jerk, but all it did to me was bite me in the ass! So sue me for being ridiculous! I had my stupid heart burnt to the ground, and you have no idea how that felt, Edward! Just because _you_ can move from one girl to another in a matter of days doesn't mean that everyone else can be like the unfeeling asshole that you are!"

_Whoa. Word rush._ I stopped myself from saying one more word. My head was still spinning and my heart pounding when I noticed Edward recoiled, taking a step away from me. I looked up to see his face. It was immediately came rushing in. _Crap_. I was never good in making fights. I hated the guilt that always comes afterwards.

"Edward, I…"

I would have apologized if it wasn't for my mom coming out of the house, calling us to come inside. I didn't turn away from Edward. He, on the other hand, made the effort of smiling to my mom as he declined, but it was obviously forced. Renee wouldn't take no for an answer. I later found myself walking into the kitchen like a zombie with Edward right behind me.

My mom served cookies. I didn't take one. She and Edward talked. I didn't listen, creating my own bubble inside my head.

The guilt was making me nauseous. It was cruel of me to call Edward an unfeeling asshole when I didn't know him well enough. I was provoked to fight back, and somehow I had offended him as a defense for myself.

What made it worse was the fact that Edward was right. For the past couple of years, I was aware I had difficulty letting go. I couldn't go back to La Push. I wouldn't say _his _name. I hated _that_ one nickname. I still dream of _him_ more often than not, although that was entirely out of my control. I always told myself that was all reasonable because of what I've been through. But things were different since yesterday when I saw the monster again. Worse. I couldn't act normal. I became tensed all the time, especially at work. I was focused on avoiding him thinking it would make things easier, but it only infuriated me more. It was messing up with my mind. I was cranky too, and my recent outraged words to Edward was a proof to that. It was only two days since I saw himagain, but it was already draining me to the point of exhaustion.

I let the shadow of a monster control me for two years. Pathetic. Ridiculous. Sick. I groaned. Maybe I should have gotten myself committed to an asylum two years ago.

"Bella, are you okay?" my mom asked, popping my fragile diffident bubble.

I nodded. I just wanted to go up to my room and curl up on the bed. But then I had to apologize to Edward before he leaves.

"How was work, sweetie?"

I looked up to see my mom, her concern and love for me always on her face. I have always pretended to be okay, but I decided now would be an exception. "It was horrible," I said, my small voice sounded horrible then, too. I took a deep breath. "The only thing I do is look at the clock and count down to closing time. I really wanted to quit but I don't think I can since I only started yesterday. Mike is always pestering me. Jacob is there in the afternoons. It's like hell. He doesn't talk to me, and that's fine, because I don't talk to him either. But he walks around acting all arrogant, and I just know he's laughing at me inside his head. I have no idea of half of the products that are being sold, and I feel like an idiot when someone asks me about something I don't know." I paused to catch my breath. "I feel like such a loser."

Awkward silence loomed in the air after my speech. I blushed, embarrassed by my whining.

My mother, being herself, flung herself at me. "Oh, my poor baby…" I was never a fan of being fussed over, but I let myself be hugged then. I needed some comfort.

Still in my mother's not-so-gentle arms, I glanced up to see Edward looking at me. Surprisingly, there was a small smile on his face, just the corner of his lips lifted. I look at him questioningly. I expected him to be mad at me, or hurt, at the very least.

My mom kept murmuring sweet nothings to my ear, but I was distracted by Edward's unexpected smile that I haven't heard a word she said. I replayed my speech in my head, searching for something that might have been funny to Edward. That was when I realized I actually did it – I said _his _name. _Jacob._ It felt strange, and I repeated the name over and over in my head. _Jacob. Jacob. Jacob. _It wasn't the same as saying it out loud, but it was enough for now. _Jacob. Jacob. Jacob._ I waited for the painful memories to flood my brain, but with Renee and her motherly love literally surrounding me, and Edward Cullen smiling at me instead of being mad, there was nothing! I felt my lips forming into a small smile of its own.

Seeing my smile, Edward grinned.

And when he grinned, I grinned back.

Renee then stopped her murmurings as she pulled away and held me at arm's length. "Do you want me to call the Newton's, Bella? I could…" Her sentence faltered when she saw me smiling. Oblivious to the reason of my abrupt mood change, she turned to Edward and became more surprised to see him smiling as well.

"It's okay, mom. I think I can handle it," I answered. _I hope._

She eyed me longer this time, her eyes like a hawk's. When my smile did not waver, she gave a smile of her own. "Alright, but tell me if you can't, okay?"

I nodded.

"And Bella, if that scum of a kid does anything to hurt you again, you tell me right away. Are we clear?"

Before I could say yes – although I doubt that would happen, my fake boyfriend butt in. "Don't worry, Renee. I'll be taking care of that."

I stamped down the impulse to roll my eyes. _Perfect line for your perfect boyfriend role, Edward? _

My mom practically glowed at Edward's pretentious knight-in-shinning-armor words. She removed her hands on my shoulders and clapped. "Well then, let's stop all this talk about horrible jobs and ungrateful dogs, shall we?"

We shall.

Edward excused himself, saying he really needed to go home. My mom hugged him goodbye. I raised a brow at that.

I walked Edwards to the door, feeling a little uncomfortable with all that has happened just a few minutes ago. "Hey…" I started, a little nervous.

"Don't worry about it, Bella," he shrugged. "It's okay."

Since no one was watching, he didn't say or do anything a boyfriend would. He walked straight out of the front door.

He said it was okay_, _but because I still felt guilty, I called out. "Hey Edward, _it's _okay, or _we're_ okay?"

He turned around, looking amused by my query. "Don't they mean the same?"

"Do they?"

He rolled his eyes. "It's both, then. Everything's okay, Bella." He waved as he walked over to his car.

Before he got in, I realized I haven't actually apologized for my unjustified insult. "I forgot to say something! I didn't mean the insult!" I was almost shouting at this point, "I'm sorry, partner!"

He waved again without turning around. When he finally got inside the car, I noticed him laughing. I took that as a sign of forgiveness.

* * *

**AN. **I don't think I do drama very well. Let me know what you think. And yes, I thank you.


	6. I Knew My Place

Yeah, this is another chapter of baloney, my longest as of yet.

Thank you for sticking with me.

Disclaimer: All characters, plots, and settings related to Twilight are the property of Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended by the author.

* * *

**Chapter Six**

**I Knew My Place**

* * *

"So, Bella, are we still on with the bet?" Mike was leaning against the counter as he asked.

"What bet?"

His smirk turned to a full menacing grin. "About you and Cullen, of course."

What was the jerk up to now? "Sure, Mike. Do you want to raise the stakes to a thousand dollars?"

The grin didn't leave his face. "Don't be so confident, Bella. You haven't seen the guy for days now, and I've heard some talk going around..."

_Shit! What talk? _I was suddenly a bit queasy. I haven't seen Edward since last Friday, the day I accused him of being an unfeeling asshole. Today was Friday, a whole week since then. "What talk?"

Mike leaned closer to me, and I leaned back away from him in response. "Talk that Cullen's enjoying the Sacramento sun with some girl he's hiding."

_Edward's in California?_ Damn that guy for not telling me! I quickly hid the surprise on my face, "That's bull. He's just..." I waved a hand in the air, my brain wracking to make up something believable. "...visiting some relatives. His aunt lives there and she wanted some company." Ha! I really had no idea what I was talking about, but I doubt Mike knew more about Edward Cullen than I did. Well, except for this bit of information. And then there was about Edward and his ex-girlfriends.

Okay, I was doomed.

Mike laughed. _Laughed! _"Oh, Bella, you have no idea!" He was right, of course. He continued laughing as he walked away from me.

I've been meaning to contact Edward when he hasn't showed up for days now, but somehow it felt inappropriate for me to do so. There was also the fact that I was still a bit ashamed of what happened last week. Although he did tell me we were okay, I suspected it wasn't all true. Was he hiding from me? Was he mad? I gave it another thought before I pulled out my phone. Mike's words and laughter made the decision for me. I felt like a fool not knowing where Edward was.

I sent him a text, asked him where the hell he was. I waited for a reply. There was none.

* * *

I really shouldn't have been surprised this time, but not seeing Edward Cullen for seven days without any notice made his appearance that afternoon unexpected. Shocking, even. He breezed into the store like he owned the place, strutting down the aisle of camping goods like a runway model. He walked towards Jacob and they made that knuckle banging guys do. It was clear that the awkward tension between them last week have long past forgotten. What was it with guys and their ability to move on so fast? I could only be envious.

Edward was smiling when he came over to me. He brandished his hands with a flourish, acting like he magically appeared in front of me. _Ta-da! _I made a face.

"Did you miss me?" he asked, his brows wriggling playfully.

Something was seriously wrong with him. Honestly. I scowled.

He laughed.

I waited until the dog was gone before confronting the man who has gone MIA for the past week. "Nice of you to finally show up."

"Uh-huh," he said.

I took a deep breath. "Look, Edward, if this is about what I said last time, it was entirely unintentional. It just came out of my mouth. I'm sorry, okay?"

He looked confused. "I thought I said we're cool, and what is this 'this' you're talking about?"

"You were gone," I pointed out.

"Yeah," he said. "I was out of town for a couple of days. Personal reasons."

"And these personal reasons are...?" I prodded.

He grinned. "Personal."

_Ugh! _I wanted to wring his neck! I knew it was none of my business whatever he does, but his 'personal reasons' were making me curious. "Come on, Edward. We're supposed to be partners, remember? Let me in your dirty little secret."

"Okay, I was with my aunt who lives in Sacramento. She wanted some company."

My jaw seemed to have hit the counter. "Are you serious?"

He did look serious for a second, before he doubled over in laughter. "Well, it appears that was what my girlfriend said to Mike Newton."

"You heard about that?"

"Yeah, I just came back this morning and I met some guys at noon," he said.

My mouth hung open again. "You really left town?"

He nodded.

_Woah! Could it be? _"Edward, are you hiding a girl somewhere?" And before I could stop myself, the scenario I had imagined this morning came through my mouth. "Is she pregnant with your love child?"

"No! Who the hell told you that?" Disgust was evident on his face.

_Oops._ Okay, my imagination went a little overboard. "No one. So, you're not telling me what have you been up to?"

"Nope."

That one word sounded so final, and I knew it wouldn't do any good if I continue being persistent. I knew my place, and I was fine with that.

* * *

That night was my second time at the Cullen's. Apparently, Esme wanted me to have dinner with them, and although Edward looked quite uncomfortable asking me, I knew he couldn't say no to his mother. He was definitely a momma's boy. _Cute... _not!

During the drive, Edward seemed to be getting more and more nervous. It turned out I would be meeting his father, Dr. Carlisle Cullen, for the first time. If their family moved earlier than they had, I might have known Dr. Cullen. I was constantly present in the hospital during my younger years.

When I asked Edward what was so nerve-racking about me meeting his dad, he just muttered, "He will surely keep a fucking eye on me tonight." And with that lone sentence, we finally arrived.

We stood on their doorstep for a couple of minutes, Edward shaking his nerves away. I was pretty nervous, sure, but he was another thing altogether. He was literally shaking with heebie-jeebies.

"Should I be scared of your dad, or something?" I asked.

"No," he said. "He's just a bit of a perfectionist. Just follow my lead."

We stood side by side staring at the front door, both of us trying to settle down our nerves, especially Edward. He took a deep breath before he offered me his hand. I took it and nodded, indicating that I was ready. He squeezed my hand once before he opened the door.

Casa de Cullen was much more magnificent the second time around. Without my mother's giggling, the whole place was calm and serene. Dr. and Mrs. Cullen stood by the round center table in the foyer looking very regal and picturesque. I wondered, however, how long have they been standing there.

Esme instantly came over to hug me as soon as I came into view. Dr. Cullen remained standing by the table, smiling at me from a short distance. _Woah._ Although he emitted the air of a professional medical practitioner, I could tell he was as kind as his wife, and just as beautiful. What was Edward so nervous about?

"Dad," Edward started, pulling me a step forward towards his father. "This is my girlfriend, Isabella Swan." He turned to me, his smile a bit constrained. "Bella, this is my father, Carlisle."

I offered a hand and greeted Dr. Cullen, and he offered to let me call him Carlisle in return.

Dinner was served then, and I found myself seated on the same seat beside Edward. That was where the similarities ended though; tonight was definitely unlike the last time. Aside from not having my mom and Esme prattle on and on, Edward was also different. He assisted me when I took my seat earlier and has even held the table napkin for me afterwards. It was strange, but charming nonetheless.

"Do you care for some more mashed potatoes, Bella?" he asked. His voice was unusually soft and gentle, but his eyes betrayed his calm exterior.

I nodded absentmindedly, wondering the puzzle that was Edward Cullen when he was with dad.

"Bella, do you wish for me to refill your drink?" Edward asked once again just minutes later. Seriously, he sounded like a waiter in a fancy restaurant.

"It's okay." I wanted to laugh, but because I was compelled to follow his suave lead, I added, "Thank you, Edward."

The talk around the table was mostly focused on me and my educational background. I noticed Edward listening intently as I spoke, his response always pleasant. I was sure that wouldn't be the case if we were somewhere else without his parents.

Dr. Cullen was very kind, looking quite interested and respectful as I talked, but why did I feel the need to make a good impression? I squirmed on my seat as I recalled random stories of my high school days in Forks High and my grueling on-going college journey at the University of Washington. I felt incompetent and boring. I never had this kind of experience before. I certainly never had this conversation with Billy…

Ugh. _Don't go there, Bella. Focus._

"So, Bella, is Edward treating you like a gentleman all the time?" Dr. Cullen asked out of the blue.

I must have stared at Dr. Cullen with a blank face since I was then discreetly kicked under the table by the person in question.

"Oh, yes. Edward's very... kind… and courteous…" Eh. Saying the words felt like eating my mom's tuna and spinach casserole – leftover version.

Dr. Cullen nodded, looking quite pleased…and proud. _Ah, I get it. _It was sweet, seeing this father-son relationship. I turned to Edward and smiled at him. He was a momma's boy, but his dad was his hero. He wanted to make his father proud by being the gentleman that he's _not_. _Haha!_

Edward looked like he badly wanted to roll his eyes.

* * *

When dinner was over, I insisted in helping Esme clear the table. She talked about cooking as we went on with the task. She was a good cook, another trait opposite to my mom's. It really was quite mind-boggling how they get along so well.

When we were done, she handed me a glass of iced tea. "I hope we didn't make you feel uncomfortable tonight, Bella. I couldn't stop Carlisle from asking questions. We all wanted to get to know you better."

I shook my head. "It was actually fun." _Especially watching Edward in front of his dad. _"Thank you for inviting me over for dinner. The food was delicious."

She beamed at me, but then turned serious. "Is Edward treating you well, dear? He could be a little rude sometimes, and arrogant." There was a small smile on her face even when she pointed out her son's flaws. I bet she found them adorable.

"Yeah…" I nodded in agreement. When I realized what I have just done, I blushed, and quickly corrected myself. "He's not _that_ bad. He _is _a little obnoxious, but we do get along." I think.

She laughed. And then,"Bella, do you love my son?"

I almost spat out my iced tea to her face. Almost. Thank God. The question took me completely by surprise that I knew I didn't have any chance of adjusting my reaction. The shock was written all over my face.

Fortunately, Esme took pity on me, and I could see that she, herself, was astounded with her own query. "You don't have to answer that, Bella. I'm sorry I asked. That was wrong of me."

I nodded, finally swallowing the liquid that has almost escaped my mouth. If she had insisted on my answer, could I possibly lie and say yes without making a face?

She grabbed something from the refrigerator then, and handed me a box the size of a book. "Here, something for you to take home. I hope you like chocolate."

_Chocolate! _That was enough to take away the uneasiness that has caused my unladylike surprise earlier. I smiled and thanked her.

Before I left, she took hold of my free hand and held it in hers, her voice soft and muted. "Bella, would you do me a favor?"

I automatically nodded. It was like a reflex action.

"If you have any idea if Edward would be leaving the town, would you please contact me? Your mother has my number."

Although I couldn't quite grasp the reason of her request, I nodded once again.

"And please, I'd rather have this conversation be unknown to Edward."

"Okay."

She smiled, relief washed over her face. "Thank you, Bella."

* * *

As I sat in Edward's car on the way home, I thought of where my loyalties should lie. I couldn't possibly say no to Esme, but then if I would indeed keep his mother's request a secret from Edward, would that be a form of betrayal to him? We were in this self-arranged quasi-relationship, and that made us some sort of a team. Partners, as he said. Was Esme even aware that Edward left town just recently? _Hmm._

My thoughts were interrupted when Edward spoke beside me. "Did my mom give you chocolates? If she told you it was from me, she lied."

That was when I smelled the faint aroma of chocolate swirling inside the car. I lifted a corner of the box that was on my lap and peeked inside, and a stronger wave of chocolaty goodness wafted through my nostrils. "Wow! Brownies! Your mom just gave me a whole box of brownies!"

"Yeah, she always tells me to feed you more."

"Why's that?" Did I look malnourished?

"Well, she said that you are quite on the thin side…" he said. He chuckled once, and I suspected he was trying to repress laughter. "…and that you're hips are not wide enough for child birth."

_Child birth? _I flushed red. "Shut up, Edward."

He chuckled again. "Those were her words, not mine."

_Child birth? _I wouldn't dare think about what Esme must have thought when she mentioned that, and it really was more than the thought of having a child with her son that was disturbing. There was also the fact that she was okay with someone like me for Edward. Although I'd never hope to be with Edward that way, it just wasn't right. The Cullen's were, without a doubt, the most beautiful family I've ever seen. They were wealthy, as well, and having seen them all tonight, I knew they were also one of the kindest. Having someone like me in the picture would only taint their picture-perfect lives.

"I can't believe your mother would approve sharing your genes with mine," I said, my mind creating an image of the right girl for Edward, someone like Rosalie Hale, perhaps.

"Hey, my sharing of my genes is entirely my business and therefore needs no approval from my mother. Anyways, what the heck is wrong with your genes? Do you have some genetic abnormalities, or something?" he asked.

"No, but obviously the Cullen's and the Swan's are two distinct species and therefore wouldn't be compatible for mating."

"Mating, Miss Swan? You're thinking about mating?" He raised a brow at me, a cocky crooked smile on his lips.

"No!" I wasn't thinking of mating, was I?

"You did mention mating, and with a Cullen at that. I am an only child, and so are you. Who do you want to be mated, huh, Miss Swan?"

I really hated the blush that was still on my face. "I don't want to have anyone mated, and you were the one who started it with child birth!"

He roared in laughter. Prick.

The light on our porch was on, and I was fairly sure my dad was still up watching television. Edward parked his car at the side of the empty road and helped me out.

"You don't have to do that," I pointed out.

"What?"

"Pretending to be a refined gentleman," I said.

He frowned, his lips pouted. "Hey, I _am _a refined gentleman. I was raised that way. It just rarely comes out because you do not act like a lady."

I snorted. "Yeah, and that's a very gentlemanly thing for you to point out."

"Well, no one's here to judge me, is there?" He grinned down at me.

"I'm pretty sure Dr. Cullen would like to hear that from me next time…"

He was about to say something back when he froze, his eyes grew wide in a sudden thought. "Oh, shit."

"What?" I asked.

"I have to meet the Police Chief sometime soon, don't I?"

_Oh, Edward. _The thought made me want to laugh. If I seriously had a real boyfriend, this idea might have been scary, but with Edward… _haha! _I seemed to have the sweeter end of the deal here, since his parents were the epitome of good moral behavior. Not that my parents were not. Charlie and Renee were just a little off the standard track. "Don't worry," I said, smiling at him. "If you are the gentleman that you say you are, I'm pretty sure my dad will not need his trusty ol' rifle when he meets you."

"Seriously?" he asked.

I shrugged. "It's standard operating procedure. I mean, since I'm his only child, and there's the fact that I'm a girl, it's necessary stuff."

"Huh," he paused for a moment before he let out a chuckle. "So, did Jake receive a good beating from the Chief?"

There went the easy conversation. "Um… no… I don't think so. I really didn't have to introduce him to my dad, considering we're basically like family."

"I meant after you guys broke up."

Oh. "He… I… I don't know," I admitted. "I haven't been to La Push ever since, and my dad kind of stayed out of it…" Only the first part was true. My dad, however, did not stay out of it. I remembered he tried to take me to the Black's so Jake and I could talk. He wanted us back together, both him and Billy having delusions of being in-laws. I hated him for it, and even went berserk once when he didn't stop calling me Bells.

"Lucky bastard got away with murder," Edward muttered under his breath.

Ditto. "You can say that again."

"And with Leah Clearwater at that."

Yeah, the prize fighter, Leah Clearwater_._ I could only bob my head in accepted defeat.

"Don't worry, partner!" Edward's loud booming voice surprised me, his arm suddenly around my shoulders. "You and I will get our sweet, sweet revenge."

_Not again! _I rolled my eyes.

"It's you and me against the world, champ!" he jokingly exclaimed. I worried the neighbors could hear him.

"Edward," I hissed, trying unsuccessfully to shove his arm away. "I'm the amateur fledgling who was pounded flat, remember? I will never again attempt to go against someone, especially not the world!"

He laughed, and when he calmed down, he held my shoulders with both of his hands. "Bella, you are strong enough." His voice was suddenly serious, and I could almost hear the sympathetic undertones. I wasn't sure if he meant it either. I, myself, wondered if I was strong enough, and if I was, for what? For revenge? I knew I wasn't strong enough to forget though.

"And if you're not…" he went on.

_And if I'm not? _I was expecting an insult, or perhaps another pretentious knight-in-shining-armor line from Edward.

"If you're not, get a hold of that damn rifle of your dad's and fucking bust their heads off." He smirked, his lips forming into that crooked smile again.

"Nice." There was no other word for it, and I was being sarcastic. My sardonic expression, however, was ruined when I yawned.

He rolled his eyes. "Okay, time to go to bed." He pulled me along with him to the front door. "Goodnight, Bella." He smiled as he waved goodbye.

Huh. Talking to Edward was a bit exhausting, but I was glad the night didn't end in an uncomfortable note.

Carrying my box of brownies, I let myself inside the house after Edward drove off. Only a few lights were on inside, and the television was surprisingly off. I was heading straight to the kitchen when I heard my parents' voices floating from upstairs. My steps halted. Charlie and Renee were arguing again. Neither noticed that I was back.


	7. Byebye Patience

Disclaimer: All characters, plots, and settings related to Twilight are the property of Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended by the author.

* * *

**Chapter Seven**

**Bye-bye Patience**

* * *

I tiptoed my way to the kitchen. It was raining hard, and if I hadn't looked at the clock, I would have bet it was still dawn. It wasn't; it was already half past eight in the morning. Renee was sitting on a stool staring at something out of the window. She looked very serene, stoic and oblivious to her own daughter standing behind her.

I smiled as I let her muse without any disturbance. I looked around the kitchen and noticed the empty table and sink. Although my mother wasn't quite the cook at home, I was already in the habit of waking up to her simple recipe of ham and cheese omelettes during the weekends when I don't have to go to work. She made it sure I enjoyed my two days stuck at home with her, and that started with breakfast.

"Mom?"

She gasped, surprised by my presence, and turned around. "Bella..." That was when I saw her face. It wasn't just stoic and oblivious, it was sad.

"Mom, what's wrong?" I asked, feeling a bit uneasy.

She shook her head and tried to change the expression of her face. She smiled, but it was too late. "Oh. I haven't made your breakfast yet," she said. She stood up from her seat and hurried over to start cooking. "This will only take a few minutes."

I stood frozen in the middle of the kitchen. It was a little disquieting to comfort my mother when she's sad. I rarely had to deal with any negative emotions from her because she's naturally a happy person. I could manage her anxieties and giddiness and quirky addictions, but not sadness. It made me feel helpless. "Are you okay, mom?"

Another forced smile crossed her face. "Of course, honey. I'm alright." Just then the plate she was trying to take from the cupboard fell and shattered on the floor.

_Of course, mom. You're alright._ I quickly went over to help pick up the scattered shards.

I tried not to think of my parents' argument last night, but a nagging voice inside my head was telling me that their fight was worse that I'd thought. I tried to tune out the heated words that have echoed from their room. Fights between married couples are perfectly normal, I thought, and I told myself that barging in their room to stop them would be unwelcomed. Now I wondered if I should have done exactly that.

When all the broken pieces of ceramic were carefully disposed, I sat my mom down back on the stool and grabbed the box of brownies from the refrigerator. I placed it on the counter between us, and smiled as I silently offered her a piece. She smiled back. _The wonders of chocolate..._

* * *

It was still raining on Monday, so work was wet and slow. Mike was no longer laughing like a loon, although when he found out that Edward and I have been 'together' for three weeks now, he kept repeating, "One more week!" over and over like some kind of pagan ritual chant to ward off demons. He later asked me out for dinner. I said no. He added that it wouldn't be until next week. I still said no. When he pointed out that I would surely be single once again this time next week, I told him to shut the hell up and leave me alone.

I would have thought my day would not be any different than usual when the demon itself stood in front of me. Where was Mike when I needed him?

Jacob cleared his throat. "Um... hi Bells..."

I didn't look up from my book, although all the words have suddenly become blurry to me. Anger and disgust crept through my body like warm pulsing blood, and I desperately wanted to make him disappear right that second – magically, if possible. _Poof! The monster is gone!_

"So, um, how are you?" He was still there.

Disgust overshadowed anger then. He dared talk to me like we were old dear friends. "I think I'm going to hurl," I muttered before I ran off towards the front door.

The cold air outside was a good antidote for my sudden nausea. I sat on the pavement with my back against the wall, hugging my knees to my chest. Raindrops fell just inches away from my toes. I was being a coward, and I knew it. I needed something to calm me down before I face the demon inside again – a cigarette, maybe. I made a face. I never attempted to start smoking, and I wouldn't dare start now.

Suddenly, a very familiar silver Volvo pulled up a few feet in front of me. The idea of kicking the car's tires to let off some steam came to my mind. Edward then came out and instantly spotted me eying his wheels with intent. "What are you doing outside?"

"Saving myself from hell," I said.

He glanced at the inside of the store as he walked towards my safety spot. "What did he do?" he asked warily.

"He tried to talk to me."

Surprisingly, Edward crouched down beside me. "And you ran away like a scared little girl?"

I scowled at his words.

"I thought you were doing better..."

He made it sound like I was some sick psycho. "That doesn't mean I want to be friends with him."

He nodded, silently staring off into the rain just like I did before he came. The silence was comforting.

"I guess this is harder for me because Jake and I used to be so close. I didn't like hanging out with kids my age that much, but with Jake... it was different. It was so easy and comfortable to be around him, to be with him. I knew him – well, I thought I did – and so I trusted him so much.

"When we got together, as much as it sounds so much like a sappy cliché, I became _that_ girl with her first love. _He_ was all I can think about, and I thought nothing could go wrong. I mean, what's better than falling in love with your best friend? It was uncontrollable, that feeling of complete abandon. At that time I didn't care at all, you know? Now everything's messed up." I tattled as I watched the rain with Edward.

When he didn't say anything back, I turned to look at him. "Edward?" I wanted to hear him say he understood me.

"No, I don't," he muttered.

"What?"

He looked at me. "I don't know what you're talking about. I never had that feeling before, that uncontrollable thing you mentioned."

"Never?"

He shook his head, looking so confounded that I bit back the urge to laugh. I just told a guy about my first and only experience in love and he didn't understand a thing. At least he didn't laugh and make fun of me.

"Wow," I said. I tried to make the conversation lighter. "So you never cared for any of your girlfriends, and all your relationships only lasted for a month? You're a freaking philanderer, aren't you?"

The confused look on his face was instantly gone and was replaced by a deadly glare, or what he thought was deadly, anyway. "No," he said, still glaring. "I did express affection; I just did not... felt as extreme as you did. Maybe it's because girls always get chronically annoying after a while," he made a face when he said this, "and everything goes down the drain because of that. Or maybe it's just because I'm a guy. We're not into that fucking shit."

Okay, so he did made fun of me, somewhat. Apparently, _I'm_ into 'that fucking shit'. Nice. Although judging by how I got burnt in the end, maybe Edward was right. It _was_ fucking shit. Worse, even. "Well," I said. "Good for you. I'm telling you right now, you're better off without experiencing shitty romance." I meant it, too.

"Hear, hear. Wait. Are you giving me an advice? On romance?" He seemed to be amused by this.

"Shitty romance," I corrected. "But sure, buddy, you can take that as an advice. Learn from the experiences of the Wise One, oh young fearful child." I playfully patted the top his head.

"We're friends now?" He smiled.

"You did offer me your friendship," I pointed out. It was weird how the idea of being friends with Edward wasn't as disturbing as it was then.

"Okay, then. _Buddy_." He grinned at me and patted my head in return.

_Wow. I'm officially friends with Edward Cullen._

He then suddenly stood up and offered me a hand. "Come on, oh Wise One, let's get you back inside. You wouldn't want to experience hypothermia."

I sighed before I got up and followed him back to hell. I was feeling better. Walking straight to the counter, I didn't bother apologizing for walking out earlier. I decided to pretend like nothing happened.

Edward did that knuckle banging with Jacob again, and started talking about some mutual friends and acquaintances.

"Hey, Edward, the guys and I are having a cookout along the beach this Saturday afternoon. Barbeque, drinking, it'll be fucking awesome. You should come."

I tried to imagine Edward with the guys from La Push. Eh. Just thinking about Sam and Paul made me nauseous again. How did Edward became friends with them, anyway? I wouldn't want to be near them at all, those obnoxious bastards.

"Is it okay if I bring Bella along?"

_WHAT THE...? _I quickly turned to Edward, trying to understand what he just said. _No. No, no, no, no..._

I could hear Jacob clearing his throat before he gave out a muffled, "Sure."

_NO! _One of my nightmares just came true! I glared at Edward, hoping the warning and threat was clear in my eyes. _He better take it back!_

He looked back at me, feigning innocence, and turned back to Jacob. "Is there something we could bring? Bella's a good cook. I'm sure she can whip up something everyone can enjoy."

My palms started to itch, wanting to strangle Edward with my bare hands before he could say another word. I was sure my eyeballs were gouging out of their sockets from glaring. How did he even know I could cook? I couldn't remember telling him that.

A short beat of silence filled the room. Awkward.

"I know she is." Jacob's soft yet clear voice cut through the uncomfortable silence.

Okay, now things were more awkward. I winced, hated what he just said. I didn't want him to say things like that, reminding me how we were and how he knew me. It hurt. I looked down at my feet, wanting to say something but couldn't find the words.

"Yeah..." Edward's equally soft voice made me lift my head up. "_I'm_ lucky to have her." He smiled at me – a little teasingly, I had to admit, but I knew then that he was trying to make me feel better. I tried to smile in return.

Jacob cleared his throat again. "You don't have to bring anything. Emily and the girls already got it covered."

Huh. The girls. The prize fighter included, I was certain.

Edward nodded. "Okay, we'll be there Saturday."

_We will? _Shit. The horror came back. I didn't want to be there Saturday. Damn Edward Cullen and his evil unannounced plans, whatever they were. He just threw me to the sharks – or the damn dogs in this instance. I would just have to decline the invite, although I wasn't truly invited.

Jacob then took his bag from the backroom, preparing to leave for the day. It was past five o'clock.

When he finally drove away, I turned to Edward who was grinning from ear to ear. "Edward Cullen, I thought you're my friend!"

* * *

The week rolled by and I found myself dreading the Saturday that inevitably came. I found myself still in bed that damned morning, thinking of excuses that would be reasonable for me to stay at home. Cramps, maybe? That would most likely scare Edward away. I have told him more than a dozen excuses why I couldn't come, but he shrugged them all off saying I was a damn chicken. Drat.

By noon, I rushed through my lunch and went back upstairs, futilely trying to hide under the covers. I knew any moment my mother would call me down announcing that my "oh-so-perfect boyfriend and real man" Edward Anthony Cullen has arrived, so I was beyond surprised when my bedroom door suddenly opened and in came Edward himself looking oh-so-domineering.

"Ten minutes, Bella. I'll give you ten minutes to get yourself ready," he said.

"I'm not going." Screw the excuses. He couldn't make me go even if he dared.

"Bella..." A warning now. His glare was convincingly deadly this time.

"Leave me alone," I muttered under my breath, pulling my blanket over my head.

He slowly walked over to sit on one side of my bed and pulled back the blanket from my face. "What is this all about, Bella?" His voice suddenly shifted to being gentle and curious. Hmm. He may not be perfect, but he could be decent. "Is this because of Jake?"

I shook my head. It was a half-lie. Jacob _wasn't_ the only reason.

"Don't you want to go to the beach? It won't rain. It'll be fun."

"It's not about going to the beach, Edward, and it's not the weather either; it's the people who will be there. I'm really not fond of mingling, I already told you that. I'm not friends with those guys from La Push."

"Your friends from high school will be there, too."

"I doubt that," I muttered. As sad as it sounded, I have really few friends in Forks. There was Angela who was away on vacation, and Ben, her boyfriend, who I only hung out with because they were together most of the time.

"Newton won't be there," he pointed out, smiling like that would surely convince me. I chuckled. We had the same opinion when it came to Mike Newton, but he wasn't the reason I wouldn't go. "Come on, Bella..." He tugged at my blanket. "Please..."

I shook my head, feeling a little bit guilty of turning him down. He kept insisting I go to the party all throughout the week, and now he was pleading with me. He looked pitiful as I continued to say no.

He took a deep breath then, and in a blink of an eye, my blanket was no longer on the bed. Demanding Edward was back. "That's it! I swear, Bella, I will downright drag your ass from this house if I have to!"

* * *

And dragged I was.

Sulking, I walked towards the shore with Edward's arm hanging casually around my shoulders. The beach was already crowded when we arrived. The pale bodies of Forks kids mingled with the darker ones of those from the reservation. I was right though, I didn't have any friends there – acquaintances, yes, but not friends.

"I told you we'll have fun here," Edward said with a smile.

Sure, he was having fun. Everyone seemed to know him. They happily greeted him as we passed, but no one said a word to me. Not that I was expecting otherwise.

We grabbed some drinks, and stood side by side not talking. He was still smiling at the crowd, waving his hand occasionally. I, on the other hand, must have looked like my cat died. I looked out into the sea, trying to avoid meeting anyone's gaze. _Now what?_

"Bella, I'll just go over and say hi to the guys, okay?" Edward touched my shoulder before he walked away.

I nodded, even though he was already gone. I stayed where I was, still looking at the sea. It was peaceful; there were no waves. It would have been lovely to be here without the noisy crowd around me.

It was a few minutes later that I started to feel strained standing on the same spot like a statue. I allowed myself to look around, and suddenly regretted that decision. A few were looking at me, not quite glaring, but made me uncomfortable nonetheless. I searched for Edward. As I did, my eyes came across a pair of rich brown eyes, darker than mine, and my chest constricted. Leah Clearwater. She looked straight at me, her face expressionless, yet I knew there was something evil lurking behind the innocence. I couldn't look away, and in that moment I remembered the last time her eyes met mine:

_It was two years ago, along the rocky part of the shore. I was smiling, excited to see Jacob. He didn't know I was coming. I made my way around the boulders, slipping a few times; following the direction Seth gave me. I saw them together a few feet away. My steps halted. Although his back was facing me, I knew it was Jacob. He had her against a wide smooth rock. They were kissing, quite passionately, hands roaming inside each other's shirts. I saw everything in slow motion. I heard nothing but the sounds they were making. I tasted bile on my tongue. I watched them for what it felt like forever. Leah then opened her eyes and they immediately locked with mine over Jacob's shoulder. They didn't stop kissing. When she closed her eyes again, I ran away._

With a heavy sigh, I averted my gaze. _Let it go, Bella._ I made myself think that I did the right thing; that I would be stooping down to her level – which was way, WAY below mine – had I continued the staring showdown with her, but somehow it felt like I lost all over again.

At that instant, I felt the hair on my arms and the back of my neck rise to the presence of someone behind me. Before I could turn around, I heard a snicker close to my ear. It was mocking and creepy and stomach-wrenchingly disgusting. I knew then it was one of Jacob's friends. I scampered away, my head down. I could feel my hands formed into fists, but I was aware that any physical retaliation would be a hilarious joke when it comes to those monstrous hounds.

I searched for Edward once more, feeling like a lost child in the middle of a busy street. I could feel more stares on me. I could hear words, unclear, just murmurs dancing around me, hovering like a buzzing of a pesky fly. I suspected I was becoming a little paranoid. My grip on my soda can tighten.

I made my way back to where Edward left me hoping he has returned. Drat. The guy was still missing. I craned my neck, looking around the crowd. I heard boisterous laughter then, and my head automatically turned to where the loud noise was coming from. It was Paul – no surprise there – with his usual set of friends. They were obviously making jokes about someone, and since they were all looking at my direction, it was also obvious who the unfortunate victim was. I wanted to go home.

It took me a few more minutes of searching before I finally got lucky. Relief and annoyance washed through me when I spotted the unique bronze color of Edward's hair a few meters away. I scurried over to him, still feeling the paranoia. He was talking animatedly with a blonde guy I haven't seen before, so I stood awkwardly behind him waiting for the end of their conversation. The other guy obviously saw me, but didn't acknowledge my presence. Another snob. I wondered if Edward knew I was there.

After a short while, Edward abruptly ended their chat. He turned to me when the other guy was gone. "What?"

I frowned at him.

"What is it?" He really had no idea.

"You didn't come back," I pointed out, trying not to sound too accusatory.

"Oh." His brows knitted.

Huh. _Nice response, pal._

"I was just talking to some guys," he added nonchalantly.

I nodded. "I thought you'd be right back," I admitted, though I hated that I had to.

"You waited for me?" He looked confused. "Don't you want to hang out with your own friends?"

This guy was clearly testing my patience. Haven't I mentioned that I didn't have friends here? "What friends? Like Jacob Black? You know I'd rather tie myself to a rock and dive into the freezing ocean."

"Well, do you want me to introduce you to some of the people here? You could have a nice chat and..."

"I don't think so," I muttered.

"Bella..."

"Can you please take me home?"

"Not now, Bella."

"I want to go home."

"So you could go stay in bed and hide under the covers again? No. Stay. Talk to some people and have fun."

"No. I told you I don't like to mingle. I'd rather go home to my lonely solitary life than pretend to 'have fun' with these snobs." I was losing my calm, I knew.

"It's not just mingling; it's making friends."

"Does it look like I want to be friends with these people? They don't even want to talk to me, Edward!" I heard my voice ascended a few decibels.

"That's because you look like you want to rip their freaking heads off," he pointed out a little too knowingly. "It wouldn't kill you to smile a little."

_You're giving me tips, Mr. Popularity? _"Did it ever occur to you that that might be because I don't want to be here at the first place?"

"We've been over that, Bella. You're fine."

"No, I am not! I am far from fine, Edward. I want to go home!" It was then I noticed a few heads turned at our direction. I scowled as I held on to the last thread of my already depreciating patience.

It wasn't enough that I was in the same place with Jacob, where everyone seemed to treat me as a social pariah, that Leah Clearwater stared down at me and made me feel like a loser – _again_, and that Paul and his other friends were openly laughing at me - _again_; I had to deal with disappointed too. I really thought that with Edward with me, it wouldn't be so bad.

Edward leaned towards me, his hand holding my elbow. He noticed we were being watched, too. "Bella, you're being difficult. Stop whining; it's annoying."

My mouth opened at his vilification and condescending tone. _Difficult? Whining? Annoying? Bye-bye patience. _"Are you kidding me? I am like this because of you! You dragged me out here against my will, you pushy inconsiderate jerk! And _then _you left me out there alone while you go drinking freaking beer talking to your goddamn friends who pretended like I don't exist!"

His eyes narrowed at me before he looked at the people around us. I knew we were attracting attention. I cringed. I just wanted to go home. Why can't Edward just get that and be let me be? He leaned closer, his grip on me tighter. "Keep your voice _down_. You don't want to be a subject of humiliation, do you?" His voice was low, his tone cold and serious.

For a moment, I was speechless. Although he didn't say it directly, I knew what he meant. I was embarrassing him. I was humiliating to be around. That was all he cared about.

My eyes were watery with angry tears. I took a deep breath, and tried not to blink. I _would_ show him humiliation.

I pulled my arm away, took a step back, and threw the half-full soda can at his chest with all the strength I could muster (it wasn't much), spluttering clear carbonated liquid on his front. I spoke loud enough for everyone to hear. "That's it! We're through, Edward! I am done with you! I am going to walk home and not waste one more minute with you, you ass!"


	8. Party in a Box

Thank you for reading, and bigger thanks for those who dropped a review. I apologize for the delay in the previous chapter. I hope this one came up soon enough, well, sooner than the last time, at the least.

Yeah, and if you're looking for a serious read, this is not the story for you. I'm just blabbing, as usual.

Disclaimer: All characters, plots, and settings related to Twilight are the property of Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended by the author.

* * *

**Chapter Eight**

**Party in a Box**

* * *

I was almost on the main road when I slowed down my pace. I tried not to look behind me, but I was hoping Edward would follow me here. If not, then I'm in big trouble. Although I did say I'd walk home, that was never my intention. I doubt my legs, and the ratty soles of my good old Chucks, could withstand that kind of physical torment.

A relieved sigh escaped my lips when I heard the sound of hurried footsteps at my tail. _Thank God._ I was already imagining myself warm inside the Volvo speeding and laughing away, leaving only a shower of dust in this hostile territory (although this was unlikely to happen since the roads are mostly wet from the constant rain, but whatever).

"What the hell was that all about?" Edward asked as he caught up with me.

I turned around, exhausted but still quite upset. "I just want to go home, Edward. You wouldn't listen. Can we go now, please?"

"What? _I_ wouldn't listen? So you felt compelled to break up with me in public?"

I rolled my eyes. "I wouldn't call it breaking up. We're not together at the first place."

"That's not the point! You did it in front of everyone who thought we were, you called me names, and you threw a freaking soda can at me! It wasn't even empty!" He motioned toward his soda-soaked shirt. I surely wouldn't be apologizing for that; my attack was provoked.

"That's just it, Edward. We were _supposed_ to be together. Were we together?"

No answer. Good. He must have realized what a jerk he was.

"No, we weren't together, were we?"

"But I told you, I was just talking to some guys for a few minutes," _A few minutes? _"I haven't gone home and left you without a ride. Why are you so mad?" He looked genuinely baffled; I was starting to get a headache.

"Because you left me all alone!" I almost wailed. _Gordon Bennett, do I really have to say it out loud?_ "You're my only friend here, and you left me all alone!"

It was quiet for a long moment. I didn't have anything else to say. What could I say after admitting I was some sort of a social retard? And from the look on Edward's face, he seemed to be having a conversation with himself inside his head. I let him be. And then, "Oh," he breathed.

There he went with that single syllable interjection again.

He sighed exasperatedly. "This is not working as I'd planned," he mumbled.

See, I did know he had an evil unannounced plan. Damn him. "What was the plan, Edward?"

He shook his head. "There was no plan. I just… I thought you'd have fun here. I did suspect being here in La Push would make you feel uneasy, but I hoped the party would be a good idea."

And because I was beyond exhausted now, I didn't bother enumerating the reasons why it was impossible for me to have fun in La Push in the company of every party kid in Olympic Peninsula. The list is just too long. Saying he was my only friend was humiliating enough for me, although he should have figured out that anything that has to do with Jacob Black isn't fun in my book, or with Leah Clearwater, for that matter… or Paul, Sam, that blonde guy who was a total snob – practically every party kid in Olympic Peninsula.

"My resistance on coming here should have been an obvious enough clue that you thought wrong," I said. I let out a breath. "Can we go now? Please?" I pleaded.

"This is still about Jake, isn't it?"

I could see the pity again in his eyes. "No," I said, getting defensive. Well, this time it really wasn't. I haven't even seen Jacob in the crowd. Surprisingly, I was a little hurt Edward would think that. Was I really that pathetic to him that I'd still be that much affected at the sight of Jacob? That was a big possibility. The worse part was I could understand his reasoning if he did think of me as such, but it still hurt nonetheless. It didn't feel good to have someone know how weak you are.

He nodded. His head was down as he kicked small rocks at my direction.

I was glad he didn't ask further about it, although I noticed he hasn't apologized yet.

"Will you be okay if I stick with you then?" he asked.

"What?"

"If I don't leave your side… will you be okay?" he asked tentatively. He was still looking at the ground.

Would I? Maybe. It didn't matter, anyway. What was done was done. I shrugged.

He peered into my face through his lashes, his head still down.

"I would have felt better, yes," I admitted.

He nodded. "Do you… would you like to give it another try? We could go back out there, and you can try to have fun…"

I winced. _Have fun?_ That was the least thing in my mind. Moreover, the words he said earlier still echoed inside my brain like an annoying infomercial on the radio. _You don't want to be a subject of humiliation, do you?_ Did he really mean I was embarrassing to be with? He wouldn't want to bring me here if that was the case, would he?

I shook my head. "I can have fun on my own, Edward. You don't have to risk your face of being in shame in my company just so I could have fun. I'd probably go curl up in bed and read a good book, and that will be more than enough to bring a smile on my face. Go and party with your prigs." My voice sounded cold. I avoided his gaze, sad and a little guilty at the same time… and probably also _proud?_ My pride wanted me to stop letting anyone make me feel bad.

He nodded. It was quiet for a while. "Bella?"

"What?" _Please don't go back there._

"I'm not ashamed of you… or to be with you. I must have said it all wrong. I never had a girl talk to me like that before, not in public, anyway. This may sound incredibly shallow, but it was mortifying for me, and I panicked, and I just wanted you to stay and shut up but I didn't want to shout at you either," he babbled on, his hand going through his hair over and over, "but you wouldn't shut up, and everyone was listening and watching us, and I didn't know why you were being so insistent and upset and difficult..." He sighed before finally looking up at me, resigned yet frustrated. "Why didn't you just shut up, Bella?"

I returned his stare. "Why didn't you just listen to me and take me home, Edward?"

We stared intensely at each other for a whole minute, and it felt like there should have been colorful beams of laser shooting through our eyes clashing in the middle like the big bang theory. Neither of us wanted to give up. Well, not until he did. His column of light suddenly evaporated.

"I messed this up, huh?" he said, his voice small.

I nodded.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled. "I should have made sure you were alright before I wandered off."

_Finally! _I really did think he'd never apologize. Although he was probably unaware of just how bad I felt earlier, I was glad he felt a little self-reproach.

"Why are you smiling?" he asked, perplexed. "I feel like shit here."

"I was waiting for you to say that."

"What? I feel like shit here?"

I laughed. "Well, that one, too, but I meant the other one."

"Oh."

Huh. The Edward Cullen trinity of Oh's. I rolled my eyes. "It wouldn't kill you to say it again, Edward."

"I'm sorry, Bella."

It was a split second later that he suddenly clasped his chest, his body slowly lowering to the ground. His face creased like he was in severe pain. _Shit! What the…? _I was momentarily lost in dread and panic. I was about to rush to help him and do something – _anything_ (I wasn't quite sure exactly what, though) – when I realized his prank. Huh. The guy could act.

I took a step back and glowered at him. "Nice, Cullen. Are you that devoid of any sense of repentance that it pains you to say sorry?" _Jeez, give me a heart attack, why don't you?_

He looked up at me at his position on the ground, grinning like a loon. _Well, he _is _a loon. _"I'm just playing with you. Plus, I did say I'm sorry, didn't I? Even if it pains me." He let out a chuckle as he stood up. "You're too uptight," he said, his eyes narrowing at me.

"Just because I'd rather not have anyone dying in front of me does not mean I'm not a fun person. Your infantile antic wasn't funny at all."

He rolled his eyes and muttered something under his breath that I couldn't hear. Then he let out a sigh and said, "Okay, I think that's enough anxiety for the day." He fished out his car keys from his jeans pocket and smiled at me. "Let's go home?"

There were no words that could be sweeter.

* * *

"So, I heard you went to La Push today. Did you have fun?" my dad asked at dinner that night.

"Yeah, sure," I said, before shoving a mouthful of fish into my mouth.

"That's great, Bells. I'm glad you and Jake are back on track. It's been years."

_Er, what? _"Um… no, I was with Edward, dad."

"Edward? Edward Cullen?"

I instantly looked up at him. Something in my dad's voice told me he was surprised and… _disapproving?_ I wasn't sure. Perhaps it was because I haven't brought Edward to meet him yet? Or was it because he has already met him, and doesn't like him?

My mom reassuringly smiled at me from across the table. "Edward's a good boy, Charlie, and Carlisle and Esme are both wonderful people," she said.

I found myself nodding at this. Edward wasn't as bad as some kids I know, and his parents are like, from Pleasantville.

"Carlisle? Dr. Cullen is _Carlisle _now?"

Uh-oh. This was more than just about Edward. My eyes bounced from one parent to another. _What is going on with these two?_

"Charlie," my mom chided.

My dad just harrumphed, and went on with the rest of the meal in silence.

* * *

My mom and I were out Sunday morning for our weekly grocery shopping again. Renee no longer sang on the way. I should have been grateful for that, but instead it left me feeling anxious. She didn't even go straight to the display of baked goodies like she normally does, which added up to my anxiety.

I was on the poultry aisle getting a dozen of eggs when Jessica spotted me.

"Bella," she said, her basket under her arm filled with skin care cosmetics. "I'm sorry it didn't work out between you and Edward Cullen. Don't feel too bad, though. That guy has some kind of like one-month due date when it comes to dating girls, or something. I should have warned you."

She looked veritably sorry for me I was lost for words for a second. "Um… Jess…"

"It's okay, Bella. You'll get over it." She gently patted my arm before walking away.

_I'm sorry, what?_

* * *

That afternoon Edward came by. I was out of the door before he could get out of his car, curious what he was up to this time. He didn't call beforehand.

"What's that?" I asked, meeting him halfway on the front lawn. He was carrying a huge cardboard box with him.

He beamed at me. "This is your party in a box."

"What?"

He walked pass me, entered the house, and placed the box on the floor by the stairs. "I'll take it back whenever you're done." He was already outside just as I stepped in. "I have to go. I just wanted to drop that here," he said.

I stood there at the front porch, puzzled and a bit impressed he could carry such big box without losing his breath. "Um… thanks," I muttered, not really sure what I was thanking for.

"You're welcome." He smiled as he walked back towards his car. He turned to me before he got in. "Have fun, Bella."

I nodded and watched him go. When he was out of my sight, I hurriedly went over to his personally delivered package and opened the box. The first thing I saw, on top, was a quilt. It was clean and soft and mostly pale green in color, and judging by the fresh smell of fabric softener, I bet it was newly washed. I pulled it out, and saw bags of chips and cookies next. There was even a six-pack of Coke. _What? _I was confused, and _amused, _as I drew each goodie out. Then I saw what was on the bottom of the box – books. There were more than a dozen of old and new, hardbound and paperback books, its unique smell diffusing from the box. I saw some familiar classic titles, and others that were quite new and interesting to me. Huh.

I stood there looking down at the books and chips and drinks and cookies with the sweet-smelling quilt on my shoulders feeling pretty happy. _Party in a box. _How fitting.

* * *

I didn't feel like going to work Monday morning. I was nearly done with one book Edward lent me, and has eaten two large bags of chips. I have stayed in bed wrapped in the quilt since the day before, making me feel like a lazy pig, in a good and overindulgent way. I packed the book in my backpack and decided to finish reading it at the store. I also added a can of Coke.

I was yet again surprised when I saw Edward in front of my house before I left for work. The memory of opening the box yesterday filled my brain, and so I happily walked over to him with a smile on my face. "Hey, thanks for the… um… the books… and the… um… the whole 'party in the box' thing," I stuttered. I didn't know exactly why I was nervous, or blushing then.

"Sure," he said. He opened the front passenger seat of his car. "Get in. I'll drive you to Newton's."

"Um…" I looked up at him, wondering what brought this on – the box yesterday, and now… "Edward, you don't have to. I can drive myself."

He sighed. "I know. Just… let me." I just noticed then that he looked a little distressed and upset.

"Are you okay?"

"Get in, Bella."

Confused, I complied and got in the car.

"Do you know some kids thought we've broken up?" he asked as we were speeding away from the house.

"They do?" Then I remembered my encounter with Jessica at the grocery store. "Oh, yeah, Jessica told me something like that yesterday."

"They deduced we split up because of what happened Saturday at La Push."

_Oops. _Was that it? Was he upset with me because of what I said and did that day? "Edward, I…"

"And you know what I found out?" he went on. "They made a bet on me… if I could make this relationship last for more than a month. They made a fucking bet on me, those… those… prigs!"

Hmm. He borrowed my word – prigs.

"And with what happened at the party, they thought we've broken up and they're all being snooty about it, because apparently they all expected it!"

I wracked my brain to think of something to say to that, but I came up with a blank. It was moot, anyway, since Edward continued talking.

"Can you believe it? They said it was bound to happen sooner than later. They mentioned something about an expiry date or some shit, and made me look like a bastard who can't even keep a girl for a sensible period of time."

I wanted to remind Edward that that was partially true. I mean, he did tell me about his ex-girlfriends, and how he feels suffocated being with a girl for a long time, but I had to bite my tongue from saying it out loud. I doubt my reminder would be helpful at the moment.

"I mean, sure, I don't have the best record of relationships, but I'm not some sick psycho who gets a kick in playing with a girl's emotions like others do, and I never made out with anyone else behind my girlfriend's back…"

_Did he really have to mention that?_

Obviously those prigs hit a nerve. Or perhaps it was the fact that those prigs, whoever they are, made a bet on him that bothered Edward. He was supposed to be Mr. Popularity, and yet everyone thought he could never make a relationship work.

Edward kept talking for some time. I wondered if he drove me to work to have someone to talk to about this, and I found myself thinking what I could say to make him feel better. He did let me borrow his books, and the quilt, and gave me food galore just so I could 'have fun'.

We were both quiet when we finally arrived. I stayed inside the car, still searching for some comforting words to say.

He sighed, looking straight ahead through the windshield. "You should go inside," he said softly.

I turned to him. "Edward," I said. "You're better than most guys I know, and you know that. You said so yourself. You're actually… um… a good guy… a good friend."

He nodded, but said nothing.

_Well, I tried. _I tugged my bag, ready to step out of the car. With the door open, I turned back to Edward and smiled at him. "Hey, stop sulking. It's not like those prigs won the bet. We did not break up, did we? Whether you like it or not, you're stuck with me for five more months." Then I got out and head inside the store.

Mike was there by the counter, like any other day, but this morning his eyes were shining. He grinned at me. "Good morning, Bella. So, what do you say about that dinner date we talked about?"

Ugh. That again. Mike evidently heard the gossip of Edward and me splitting up, and believed it. "Mike, I don't think…"

I was just about to say no to Mike for the hundredth time when I felt a hand on my arm. I turned around and saw Edward standing there with a small smile on his lips. "Hey," he said. His voice was almost a whisper.

"Hey," I whispered back. Why we were whispering, I wasn't sure. It was like he was about to share a secret.

I was still looking up at him when he did the unthinkable. In a blink of an eye, he was suddenly so close to me. I felt his hand touching my face, and at that moment it felt like I had to close my eyes, and so I did. And although some part of my brain knew it was about to happen, the feel of his lips on mine surprised me. The kiss was soft and slow and almost hesitant, and it was over before I could think what to do. A couple of blinks and I opened my eyes to his green ones, his face still so close. I sucked in a deep breath.

"I'll pick you up by five?" he asked, still whispering.

I nodded, speechless. He gave me a small crooked smile before he swung about and left.

When Edward was out of the door, I turned around and found myself face to face with Mike. The dumbfounded expression on his face must have been a reflection of mine.

_Holy smoke, what just happened?_


	9. Real Land of the Living

Disclaimer: All characters, plots, and settings related to Twilight are the property of Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended by the author.

* * *

**Chapter Nine**

**Real Land of the Living**

* * *

Mike kept looking at me all throughout the morning. Sometimes he gave me sad droopy smiles, and sometimes he looked upset. I didn't really get why he bothered asking me out at the first place. Did I pose some sort of challenge on him since I've always said no? Was I, as impossible and mortifying as it may, attractive to him? _Ew._ I shrugged off the thought, only to be struck by another mind-boggling dilemma.

The kiss.

I could save myself from all the wondering and just call Edward right then and there and demand he explain his actions earlier. Should I do that? Do I have the right? After all, it was all part of our deal. I mean, boyfriends kiss their girlfriends all the time, right? And he was supposed to be my boyfriend, which makes me his girlfriend, which means he's supposed to kiss me all the time. Well, not _all the time_, but sometimes… right? Did that make sense? Was there logic in my reasoning?

A big burly man came by the counter to pay for his purchase.

But why did he do it so suddenly and out of the blue, that whining prick? Ugh. He should have warned me, and I wouldn't have been upset about it all.

I closed the cash register as the customer walked away with his brand new Primus stove.

_Wait, am I even upset about it?_ _Should I be? Aren't I? _Hell, I was confused. I turned my attention on the book that I brought. _Clear your head, Bella. Forget the kiss. Forget Edward. _I made myself focus on the characters of the novel, and their own conflicting emotions.

* * *

I was done with the book before my shift ended, and so I was once again stuck in a room with Jacob Black, neither of us talking to each other. I thought it was a mutual decision, but somehow Jacob didn't get the clue when I ran out the last time he tried to talk to me.

"Hey, Bells, how's it going?" he asked at the end of the day.

I looked at the clock behind me. It was nearly five. _Please go home, Jacob. _"Fine," I muttered, trying to swallow back the bile on my throat. I started transferring the bills from the cash register into a small safe-deposit box to avoid looking at him.

"It was nice to have you back on the beach last Saturday. Why did you left so suddenly, though?"

_Your party was lame. _"I had other plans."

He nodded, pretending to understand, I assumed. "Are you okay?"

"What?"

"Everyone saw what happened… with you and Cullen. You were pretty upset."

Where was he going with this?

"What you did was only right, Bella. He deserved it."

I looked up at him, my brow raised.

"He's not good enough for you," he added.

My mouth dropped open. _Is he kidding me? Who does he think he is?_

I was still gaping like a fish when I saw Edward came in the store. He halted by the door, his face depicting astonishment as he took in the rare sight of Bella Swan and Jacob Black talking. _I know, right? _I couldn't believe it either.

Jacob, sensing someone was behind him, turned around and saw Edward. He took a step away from me. I concentrated back on the bills. When I looked up again, Jacob was talking with Edward. I couldn't hear a word, and could only see Edward's expression as he listened. He looked confused.

After a short moment, I saw Jacob patting Edward's shoulder, as if comforting him. I was getting confused myself. Then the traitorous jerk walked away from my pseudo-boyfriend, heading towards the back room.

"Well, I'm done for the day," traitorous jerk said to no one in particular. Edward and I both looked bewildered. Jacob then took his shirt off just before he disappeared into the other room, which was completely stupid and disgusting if you ask me, because I doubt he was sweaty one bit. It was cold, for crying out loud! Now Edward and I looked just grossed-out.

Edward walked over to me. "What was that all about?" he asked, his voice low.

I shrugged. "What did he say to you?" I kept my voice to a minimum, too, which reminded me of our whispers that morning. I shook my head. _Now's not the time, Bella._

"Just some stuff."

"Tell me."

His hand went through his hair. "Um… he said you won't take me back, that I'm wasting my time coming here to see you." He looked at me warily. "He said you're not… um… the forgiving type."

_He said what?_ Traitorous jerk did it again, proving once more how obnoxious he is.

"I can't believe how everyone believes every stinking rumor nowadays," Edward murmured, shaking his head.

I nodded. "He told me you deserved what I did to you last Saturday…"

Edward just chuckled.

"…and that you're not good enough for me," I continued.

Edward's laugh stopped abruptly. He frowned. "Really?" He paused. "I think he just played both us, that sneaky bastard."

"True."

_I'm not the forgiving type? _Well, it may be true I haven't completely forgiven Jacob. Some one percent of me seemed to be hanging on to its anger, but I did forgive him… ninety-nine percent. That was more than Jacob deserves. All I did was ignored him, burned any photograph with his stupid face, and cursed him in the safety of my own bedroom. He was lucky I wasn't the vengeful type. If I was, I would have picked a huge rock _that day _and banged it on his unsuspecting head and the other head that was attached to it.

_I am forgiving. _I forgave Edward last Saturday, didn't I?

I looked up at Edward and saw him still frowning. Huh. He has his own issues. Although I admit he fully deserved being splashed with cold soda, what he did to me was far less cruel and hurtful than what the traitorous jerk did. If there was anyone who isn't good enough for me, it was Jacob.

The sound of the door knob snapped me out of my thoughts, and before Jacob could step out of the back room, I had my arms around Edward's waist. I felt rather than saw Edward's surprise at my sudden embrace. His arms slowly surrounded me, like he was unable to decide what to do quickly.

Well, if I was already being heedless by making such move, I might as well do this all-out, right? I nuzzled my face against Edward's chest. "Hmm… I missed you today." I winced internally. It didn't sound like my own voice.

Edward kept mum, and I was afraid he was trying not to laugh at my act. I discreetly pinched his back. I could sense Jacob close, and if Edward laughs, I would die of embarrassment. Seriously, I would die.

"I missed you too, baby."

I had to restrain a gasp. _Whoa._ I wasn't sure if it was because I was too close to him that he sounded different, but he did, and it wasn't funny at all.

Jacob then cleared his throat. I still had my face against Edward's shirt so I only heard him say, "It's past five. We should close this store up, Bells."

Ugh. I didn't pull away from Edward, and I was glad it was him who replied, "It's fine, Jake. We can handle it. You should head home."

Jacob didn't say another word. I listened to his heavy footsteps as he walked out of the store, my head still glued to Edward's shirt. Hmm. The smell was familiar. I took another sniff. I knew the scent somewhere. Have I smelled him before? I didn't think so. I was sure I never hugged him before, and I doubt I have stood close enough to him to smell him. But it felt like I knew the scent. I've smelled the scent. I just didn't know where…

"Hey." Edward shook me out of my musings. "Did you fall asleep?"

I realized then that I still had my arms around him, my nose pressed against his chest, my eyes closed. _Oops._

* * *

Tuesday morning seemed like a repeat of Monday's. I didn't want to go to work. I've started a second book the night before, and I just wanted to stay in bed and read. And just like yesterday morning, Edward was again waiting for me outside, the door of his car's passenger seat open.

"I'll drive myself to work, Edward." I didn't want this to be a routine.

"Don't be stubborn, Bella. I don't mind driving you. It really isn't a bother," he said. "We could save gas."

"Where do you go to work, anyway?"

He hesitated. "Um… with my dad… at the hospital."

"That's on the other side of town," I pointed out.

"So?" He smirked. "I'm fairly sure we'd still be using less energy than if you drive that decrepit truck of yours."

"Hey, don't hate the truck," I scoffed.

"I could say worse things about your truck, Bella, and it has nothing to do with hatred. Don't get me started. Get in, and I'll play nice."

I frowned, but got in his car. Aside from saving gas, it dawned on me that I would also be saving gas money, and that would be helpful when September comes.

Edward was silent, unlike yesterday. He only asked me about the book I was currently reading.

We talked about books yesterday afternoon, too. I had thought about asking him about the kiss, but later dismissed the idea. He had not asked about my embrace either, which I was grateful for. I didn't know what to say if he'd asked. It was like we had this silent agreement not to discuss whatever it is we did with each other, not that they were wrong and unlawful. It was just a little intimate for two strangers to act… well, not exactly strangers. It's Edward after all. If there was anyone I had to do this with, I'm glad it's Edward. I tried to imagine being with someone else, like Mike, for instance, hugging him, or kissing him… gross! I shuddered at the thought.

"Are you listening to me?" Edward pulled me back to the present.

"What? What did you say?"

"I said, did you think it was fair when the father slaughtered the suspect in the middle of the trial? I mean, sure, if it was me, I'd probably be itching to get my hands on the bastard…"

I turned to him, alarmed. I haven't read that part of the book yet. "Edward, nooooo!"

He looked surprised at my reaction for second, but then he laughed, and tried to give me more spoilers for the rest of the ride. I blasted his car's audio system. He just laughed again.

When I stepped inside the store, Mike silently smiled at me and went on with his work. I smiled back. Things were so much better with Mike now that he has stop asking me out. Before I took my place behind the counter, I looked back against my shoulder. Edward wasn't there, and neither was his car. He has already driven away.

"So, you're back with Edward?" Jacob asked during his afternoon shift.

I had an urge to tell him to butt out, but I didn't. "Um… we didn't really break up. I just had a tough day last Saturday."

He nodded. "You should come to La Push again anytime soon. You missed the bonfire that night – you know, like the ones we did before…"

I looked back at him with a blank face.

"…and we cooked hotdogs and stuff… you remember?"

I did remember. I remembered cold nights in La Push when we built fires that got so big it looked like it could reach the ink-black sky, and then we ate hotdogs with root beer until it felt like our tummies would burst. "Yeah," I answered my face still expressionless.

He smiled. "Do you remember when we used to walk by the shore and collect firewood, and then my dad would…?"

I stopped him. "Please. I don't want to talk about it." I stepped past him into the bathroom where I counted until fifty before I walked back out. I was relieved when I saw Jacob with a customer. Insensitive weasel. Couldn't he figure out that it was beyond uncomfortable going through memory lane with him?

* * *

Five o'clock rolled by and I was done closing the store. I sat on the wet pavement waiting for Edward. Has he forgotten to pick me up? I checked my phone. He has not replied to my text. It was just 5:12, but my mind was already thinking ahead on how I could go home without Edward. If he couldn't come, the only option was to call one of my parents. I grimaced. I hated being dependent on others. I should have taken my truck.

I was about to call Edward when I spotted his car speeding towards me. Relieved, I stood up, ready to jump inside the Volvo and head home.

I did just that, and before I could say a word, Edward was already talking. "Hey, I'm sorry. I had to go to the mechanic without a car to get my dad's car since it needed a new battery, and I think I underestimated the time I needed to get there since I'm so used in driving fast, and I was not – driving, I mean, and then I had to go back to hospital and find my dad to give him his car's keys…"

Huh. Edward has the tendency to talk nonstop when he's anxious. "Okay, okay. It's fine." It was just twelve minutes, after all. He seemed to have more trouble than I.

He let out a breath and nodded once. "Okay."

I stared out of the window as we head home, watching the wet green land that is Forks. I used to love this small town, and not just because it was the only home I knew. There was so much going on here before, and I remembered the feeling of having something to look forward to each day. Now it just seemed… empty. I couldn't wait for the school year to start so I could go back to Seattle.

Where did everything go downhill?

Earlier in the afternoon, as I recalled random memories of my past, I realized I was different now than I was then. Not completely, but I wasn't this… empty. That word again. Was I just plain bored, or was there something more to this?

"You're awfully quiet this afternoon," Edward stated from beside me.

I nodded, feeling glum.

"Bella, I'm so sorry. Really, I didn't mean it. I really didn't know it would take so long…"

I stopped his non-stop talking before it gets worse. "It's not you. I'm just feeling out of the weather, or something."

"Oh. Okay."

A beat of silence loomed over us.

"Bella, how come I haven't met any of your friends?" Edward asked out of the blue.

I told him about Angela being out of town, and Alice who lives in Seattle and was also vacationing in a small town near Idaho.

"That's it? You only have two friends?" He seemed incredulous.

"I'm also friends with most of my classmates back in the university, but not as close as those two..." I defended myself. Plus, he's also my friend, isn't he? That makes three.

He made a face. "Jeez, Bella. That's why you look dead most of the time."

_Excuse me? Dead? _I gave him a scowl. But then he may be right; I was just thinking how I feel a little vacuous nowadays. Maybe there was a connection between the two.

I was still musing about that when the car came to a sudden stop. I looked out of the window and saw that we weren't at home yet. _What the...? _Before I could ask, Edward was already out of the car and was opening my door. He handed me a key. _Wait, his car keys? _I stared up at him, open-mouthed.

"You drive," he said.

"What?" I pushed his hand away. "Why should I?"

"Come on, Bella." He shoved the key in my hand before pulling me out of the car. He went in and sat on the passenger seat.

Confused, I settled on the driver's seat. Was this some sort of a lousy joke? I eyed him questioningly before putting the key in. He put on his seat belt with a mocking grin – a suspicious move. I reluctantly started the car, and I had to admit I was impressed by the quiet purr of its engine. I relaxed on my seat when I reached 60.

"Go faster," Edward said.

"What?"

"My car can handle higher than 60, Bella. Go faster."

"What? No!" I doubt I ever drove faster than 60. I mean, my truck surely wasn't capable of a speed higher than that.

"You're driving too slow. Hit on the gas."

"No, I won't."

"It's not going to kill you, Bella."

"It will."

"I drive fast all the time."

"Edward, my dad's a cop, remember? I was raised to abide by traffic rules."

"We're not going to tell him. Hit on the gas."

I wanted to focus on my driving, but Edward kept distracting me. "Edward, no! Stop bothering me."

"Go 80. Come on, Bella."

"Stop it."

"It's not fast enough."

"No. I'm going to kill someone that fast."

"It's an empty road. You can go faster than this."

"No!" But then somehow – subconsciously, I presumed – I was pressing on the gas more. The speed dial was moving on to 70.

"That's it, Bella. Go higher."

"No. My dad will find out. We'll get into trouble." S_low down, Bella. Slow down. _I couldn't turn my head from the windshield, and I couldn't slow down. _Whoa, whoa, whoa... _

"No, we're not. This is still too slow."

"No, Edward. I can't."

But the dial was now on 80. My heart was beating out of my chest. _What is happening? _I checked the side mirror; no one was following us.

"You can do 100."

"100?"

"Yeah, you're almost running at 90 now."

"What? No!" I was already grasping the steering wheel, my knuckles tight. I felt a little out of control, my heart pounding like crazy. _What is happening to me?_

"Just a little more, Bella."

A little more and I was already driving more than a hundred miles per hour. I couldn't believe it. I was already leaning close to the windshield by now, my eyes wide.

"Now, open the windows."

"What?" I was clearly on a daze, but still managed to concentrate on driving.

"Open the windows."

I tried moving one hand from the wheel, but I couldn't. It seemed glued there. "I can't!"

"Bella, just press that button by the window..."

I tried again. "I really can't!"

I felt him lean over me, his arm passing in front of my chest. In the next second, cold wind whooshed into the car, my hair moving swiftly with its flux. We seemed to be moving so much faster with the windows down. I never experienced this before – not with my dad, Alice, or even Jacob. We were moving _so fast_. I could feel my breath coming in too fast and too shallow, a shot of adrenaline coursing through my blood. Everything should have been blurry, but it was not. The road ahead was open and clear to me, and I knew I could do it. I could feel my lips forming into a smile. It was exhilarating, the thrill paralyzing any other senses except to feel the speed – of the car, the wind... I wanted to scream and laugh and maybe pop my head out into the strong passing current of air.

And then I was laughing, and I could hear Edward laughing with me, and we just couldn't stop.

Soon, we were no longer alone on the road. A few vehicles passed by, and I knew I had to slow down. I checked the side mirror again; still no cops at our tail. The surge of driving fast slowly evaporated, leaving me clammy and wide-eyed.

I parked by the driveway when we finally arrived, and took a moment to relish the feeling. "That was... such a rush," I breathed, my hand never leaving the wheel.

Edward chuckled beside me. "Welcome to the real land of the living, zombie."

I turned to see him looking smug. I collapsed against the seat, finally letting my hands free. We stayed seated for a short minute. I shivered.

"You're cold. Get inside before you get sick."

I nodded, feeling a little woozy. I stepped out of the car, almost falling as my feet landed on the ground.

My mom was standing by the front door, and I was instantly met by her curious gaze. _Uh-oh. _"Was that you driving, Bella?" she called out.

"Er... yeah. I guess it was," I shrugged as I walked towards her.

"You let her drive?" my mom asked Edward, who was on his way back to the driver's seat.

I heard Edward laugh from behind me. "Yeah. I was just proving how much I love her by letting her drive my precious car." He laughed again.

I turned around back to him, ignoring my mom's giggling. I rolled my eyes. Really, where did the guy get these lines, anyway? "So," I said to him. "If you love me, would you let me drive again?" My brows rose as I called to his bluff. Hmm. Driving Edward's Volvo was quite an experience; a repeat performance wouldn't be so bad. I could still relive everything in my mind.

He got the challenge, but laughed anyway. "No way! I love you so much to let you drive again. You're a lousy driver; you can't even open the windows!"

I scowled. _So much for a repeat performance. _"Go home, Cullen, and take your damn ostentatious Volvo with you."

He seemed unable to stop laughing. He grinned and gave me a salute – which garnered another eye roll from me – before getting inside the said pretentious car and drove away. I turned toward the house.

"You look great, dear," my mom commented after her giggles died down. "You look... well, alive."

I paused at her remark. _Welcome to the real land of the living, zombie. _I turned and looked back at the empty road with a smile.

* * *

**AN. **I'm sorry for any typographical error. I wrote this in a hurry. Thank you.


	10. Dinner at Six

It's been a long time, eh? Distractions have been coming in bundles, and writer's block was a pain. I actually considered giving up on this story, but at the last minute changed my mind.

Disclaimer: All characters, plots, and settings related to Twilight are the property of Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended by the author.

* * *

**Chapter Ten**

**Dinner at Six

* * *

**

I woke up early on Saturday. The sky was dark and still, an eerie silence hovering like an ongoing dream. Hard as I tried, I couldn't go back to sleep, so I made my way downstairs only to see Charlie by the door, all ready for an early start at fishing.

"Bells." He looked surprised to see me awake.

"Dad."

The moment was ill at ease, with the silence taunting us to speak. We were contemplative what to say. I made an effort to smile.

He cleared his throat, his eyes not meeting mine. "Um… I was just about to leave," he said.

I nodded.

"Do you… do you want to come along?" he asked reluctantly.

I was more than surprised by his invitation. It has been years since I joined him in his fishing trips down at La Push. That was the only thing we did together, and so when I stopped coming along with him, we haven't spent any more bonding time.

He waited for an answer, and finally met my gaze. His deep brown eyes, just like mine, seemed melancholic and hopeful. That was when I realized I wanted to say yes; I didn't want to see the disappointment I kept causing him for the past two years. I realized I missed spending time with him. I missed my dad.

But I couldn't stop the other thoughts that came rushing through my mind. Because as much as I wanted to be that daughter to him again, I didn't want to go back – back to the time when I was excited to drive to La Push every Saturday morning to be with Jacob. As irrational as that may seem, I couldn't stop myself from shying away from anything that would remind me of _that time_. I just didn't want to go back.

"I – I can't," I said, wincing as he took in my words. "You go ahead, dad. I'll just stay at home today."

He nodded, gave me a sad smile, and headed out of the door.

A strong wave of guilt washed through me, and in a second, I was behind him. "Dad," I said. "Maybe we could do something else, some other day?"

He seemed surprised for a second, and then he smiled, a genuine happy smile this time. His eyes were hopeful again. "Sure, Bells."

I smiled in return, the guilt slowly washing away. As he walked towards his cruiser with his tackle box, I called out, "Dad, be careful."

He grinned. "Always am."

* * *

I cooked breakfast that morning, surprising my mom when she finally walked into the kitchen. As we ate, my mind wandered to how to go on with the day. Since Tuesday afternoon when I drove Edward's car, I found myself wanting to do something entirely new, something exciting.

"Mom, do you want to do something together?" I asked, more than just wanting to spend the day with her. Renee had her own little share of excitement, and although I did get to take part of those experiences with her, I was never entirely willing. This time, though, I was taking the initiative.

"Well," she said. "We could have a marathon of that show where those kids in high school sing…"

That was not exactly what I had in mind. "Um… I was thinking of something more… different, and does not involve sitting on the couch."

She gave it a thought for a minute, before she jumped out of her seat and head straight upstairs. I knew I should worry then, but I was curious to see what she was up to. When she came back, bouncing with excitement, she handed me a pamphlet.

I should have worried. Renee, once again, has gone beyond my expectations. She wanted to try ballroom dancing. _Ballroom dancing_. I groaned. "Mom, you know I can't even walk across a flat surface without tripping!" I wailed. "I can't dance!"

"Oh, honey, it will be fun," she said. "Ms. Cope will be having sessions every weekend for couples, and I'm sure it won't be that difficult."

_Ms. Cope? The front office receptionist of Forks High? _I was busy imagining Ms. Cope with her red hair and glasses gliding along the dance floor in some glittery costume that I ignored my mother's mention of couples.

"You and Edward will be such a wonderful pair!"

That was when I had to put an end to this potentially dangerous asinine plan. No way would I embarrass and hurt myself through ballroom dancing, and I certainly wouldn't allow myself to kill Edward with my two left feet at the same time. "Mom, stop. I think ballroom dancing is a bit too much. Maybe we can try… some mild hiking?" _Or maybe get a Volvo? _

"Too much? Bella, back in my time, dancing in the arms of the man that you love is anything but too much. You kids are missing out on something."

I doubted that. Plus, it's not like guys my age don't dance; they do, although that usually involved getting almost naked among a crowd full of also almost-naked, sweaty, and over-hormonal people. Hmm. Maybe ballroom dancing might be the lesser of two evils. But then I didn't have to choose; I didn't have to dance _at all_.

"I think I'll pass," I said indisputably.

"Give it another thought," she urged. "We could just try the waltz. There's nothing more romantic and elegant than the classic waltz…"

Before I could give my own opinion on waltz, Renee has already wrapped herself inside her own dancing bubble. She rose from her seat, and with closed eyes, she started twirling around our small kitchen. She held her arms out, as if dancing with a phantom lover. I smiled at the sight. Typical Renee. After a moment, she stopped and giggled as she walked back to the table.

"Romantic, huh?" I teased her. "Did you and dad have your romance bloom on the dance floor?"

Her giggles suddenly stopped, and my smile slowly faltered.

"Well, we… he…" she stammered, her eyes not meeting mine. "You know your father…" She started cleaning up the dishes.

I was confused at first, until I realized what she meant. My intolerance of dancing and other physical activities could be attributed from my father, and that would mean that he and my mom surely have never danced. I looked at my mom, a recondite sadness on her face, and I wondered how it was like to be her. I was so much like my own father that I found it difficult to place myself in her shoes. How would it be like to be outgoing and playful and romantic when the man that you love hardly says more than a few words?

* * *

Alice called me that night, back in Seattle from her grandmother's. Of course, I let her talk first. She narrated stories of lemon meringue pies and vintage clothing and charming small town boys. I was happy just listening to her, but when she stopped talking minutes later, I knew it was my turn.

"Alice, I'm seeing this guy…" I hesitated telling her this.

"God, Bella! Just how many guys did your mom arranged you to? Is this, what, you're twentieth?"

I took that as an insult. Did she really think I would succumb myself with twenty blind dates? "Um… this is still the fourth."

"Fourth? Isn't that…"

"Yup," I confirmed before she could go on.

Her loud squeal went straight into my ear. "Bella! You've been seeing this guy for over a month?"

"Yeah, I guess." My voice was small, and I felt the heat slowly creeping on my cheeks. Alice couldn't see, but it was embarrassing all the same. I cleared my throat. "But it's not a big deal. It's just a casual thing," I added nonchalantly.

"Bella, you don't do the casual thing. Either you like him or not, and don't try to tell me you don't. A month for you is a milestone! You _like _the guy!"

"Okay, okay. I do like him," I said. That was the point, anyway, to convince her that I was in love. _What else could I say? _"He's nice, Alice…" I grimaced. _Nice?_ Was that something a girl says about her boyfriend?

Alice laughed. "Of course he is! He is your boyfriend, after all, but give me some juicy details!"

_Juicy details? _"Um…" Jeez, my mind went completely blank. It just dawned on me that I knew very little about said boyfriend. "…he likes to read." That sounded like a question. I felt like a fool.

"Come on, Bella. I don't need that kind of details. Is he a good kisser? Is he gifted in… you know…?"

My mouth dropped at the query, although my mind was already replaying the one and only time we kissed. "Alice!"

She laughed again. "I bet you're blushing right now. I get it. No need to say the word."

A few minutes later when we were about to end the call, she said, "Too bad I couldn't set you up anymore with the guys I had in mind. I was actually looking forward to it, playing cupid!" She giggled at her own words.

We said goodbye, and when my room finally echoed silence, an idea came to mind. Playing cupid. I knew two people who needed a little push at romance. I may not know a lot about love in action, but there must be something I could do. After all, I was a living proof of their love.

* * *

I called Edward first thing Sunday morning. If I was going through with my plan, I needed an alibi.

He answered on the fourth ring. "Yeah?"

I obviously woke him up with the call; his voice was groggy from sleep. Guilty, I looked at the clock. It was half past eight. Hmm. He must be sleeping in. "Edward? It's Bella." I waited for a reply.

"And?" A hint of annoyance was evident in that one word.

I rolled my eyes. Right. "I'm sorry to be disrupting your sleep. I didn't know you would still be in bed at this time." I waited again for a reply, any indication for me to go on.

He murmured something I couldn't quite hear.

"Okay, well, I was just wondering… do you have any plans for tonight?"

No answer.

"Edward?"

"What? Yeah, yeah…"

"Oh." I couldn't help the disappointment that came with his answer, but that wouldn't stop me from my plans. "Um, will you do me a favor? I need you to pretend that we're going out for dinner tonight around six. That is if your mom asks you. Okay?"

"Hmm…"

I wasn't sure if he was completely awake at this point. "Edward? Dinner at six. Did you get it?"

"Dinner. Six. Yeah… sure," he grumbled.

Well, there wasn't anything more I could do about this. I let him go back to his sleep.

* * *

Prepping my mom for a romantic dinner with her husband should have been a simple task for anybody else, but not me. I, myself, have no clue what a romantic dinner entails. I didn't tell either of my parents, of course, and I tried not to give a clue to Renee as we gave ourselves some home spa treatments (well, she did as I just watched) after our weekly grocery shopping.

It was nearly six when everything was ready. The chicken potpie I prepared was sitting warm in the oven. Salad and bread were also ready. My mom has enjoyed having her face masked, her feet scrubbed, and her nails polished. I couldn't make her dress differently though, but that was fine. I doubt Charlie would either. All I could offer was a good meal and a few hours of alone time for the two of them.

I was in a hurry to leave the house, afraid my dad would arrive early. Just as I walked out of the door, I called out, "Mom, Edward just asked me out for dinner. I'll be back late." Then I dashed out straight to my truck. Better avoid questions than lie.

When I arrive at the local diner where I planned to spend the night, I realized I haven't brought anything with me – wallet, cell phone, iPod, a book to read – none. I mentally slapped myself at my own stupidity. I took a seat at one of the empty booths, feeling defeated.

I just hoped my mom would have a much better time than me.

Almost an hour later and I was like a dead rock on my seat. Even though the old man who owned the diner was kind enough to offer me food without payment, I declined. However, I couldn't stop myself from asking for a steaming cup of coffee to keep me occupied. It didn't help my current situation though; I was still bored to death, and was now suffering semi-severe hunger due to the caffeine intake. I was just planning to stay inside my truck when someone suddenly slid into the seat in front of me.

Edward.

And he had a scowl on his face.

I scowled back. What did I do wrong?

His brows furrowed further. "You called me early in the morning, set up a date, and then you bailed out on me?"

_What? _"What are you talking about? I thought you had plans."

"I thought you asked me out for dinner."

"But you had other plans!"

"You asked me out for dinner!"

I let out a huff of breath, still glowering at Edward. Aggravating man. I was about to open my mouth once again to continue our messed-up contestation when I realized I actually had company now. I smiled.

"Don't smile at me like that, Bella. Why didn't you wait for me at your house?" he asked, still scowling. "I went there just before six, but your mom said you already left. I tried to remember a place you might have mentioned when you called, but there's none. I tried calling you, texting you, called you again…"

His voice was getting louder and louder, his hand running through his hair often.

"…and it was getting dark, and we both had no idea where you are. You were supposed to wait for me…"

"Edward," I called out. He was getting out of control, which was quite a surprise. I didn't think this would affect him at all. I didn't even expect him to come. But I knew he has other plans, and that doesn't include keeping my lonely (and hungry and broke) ass company. "I thought you couldn't make it. I don't want to bother you if you have to be somewhere else."

He was speechless for a second, before he finally calmed down. He sank in his seat, and sighed. He opened his mouth to say something, but seemed to have changed his mind.

"Look, I'll be fine. I _am_ fine. It's not like I'm in trouble. You don't have to be here. Go and have fun," I said with a smile. I told myself it wouldn't be so bad to go ahead with my plan and stay inside my truck for the rest of the evening.

"You do realize you're kicking me out of here again just like on our first date, don't you?" he asked as one of his brows rose.

"I'm not telling you to get lost; I'm actually doing you a favor. Go."

He shrugged. "It's cool. It's just Emmett and the guys. I doubt they'd even notice I wasn't there and really, what are you doing here all alone drinking coffee? Have you eaten? You look dead again. Come on, let's eat." And just like that he dismissed my sacrificial offer of letting him party with his friends.

I was about to retaliate on his comment on my supposedly lifeless look, but the invitation to eat made my mouth water. I picked up the menu, eager to fill my empty stomach.

"No, not here."

I looked up at him, confused.

"Here's good for breakfast or lunch, but not dinner. Only cops do that," he said.

"Hey! I'm a cop's daughter!"

"That explains why you're here," he pointed out. "We can drive to Port Angeles and have a healthy non-greasy meal with a fresh green salad…" He stood up from his seat.

A loud angry growl from my caffeine filled tummy interrupted him. I didn't need to speak; that was enough. Edward stared at me for a second, another frown forming on his face. Then he sat back down, grumbled, and took a copy of the menu with resignation. Sweet, sweet victory.

Midway through the meal, I noticed a girl glaring at me from across the diner. A few glances and I realized she was glaring at Edward and not me.

"Hey, I think that's your ex-girlfriend," I told Edward.

He turned around, saw the girl and chuckled. "No, she's one of the girls my mom set me up with before you. She creep me out, I pissed her off, and now she hates my guts." He let out another muffled laugh.

I looked back at the girl, and thought she was very pretty. If she wasn't glaring at Edward, she might have looked kind and sweet, too. I could see why Esme wanted the girl for her son. I turned back to Edward. "Do I creep you out?"

"Do I piss you off?" he asked back.

"I don't hate your guts," I told him.

He grinned. "Exactly."

I grinned back.

A few spoonfuls later, I remembered Edward has mentioned that he has talked to my mom. I hurriedly swallowed the food inside my mouth. "Edward! When you talked to my mom, how was she? Did she look happy? Did you see my dad?" I was excited to find out how their dinner went.

He put down the fry he was holding. Huh. Healthy non-greasy meal, he'd said. His brows furrowed. "She looked just the same as always, and I didn't see your dad. He wasn't home, I think. There was no police cruiser on your driveway. I was actually relieved. I mean, I'm not exactly psyched up to see him…"

My dad wasn't home. My appetite instantly vanished; a sick feeling sprang in my stomach. "I have to go now." I stood up and went straight out of the door.

I heard Edward following me a short moment later. "Hey, what's happening? What's wrong?" he asked.

I didn't answer him, and rushed to my truck. When I took my seat behind the wheel, Edward was already on the passenger seat. He kept asking me what was happening, his voice getting louder and agitated.

"Charlie was supposed to be there." That was all I said as I pushed my truck's speed to its limit. As I neared the house, I saw my dad's cruiser on the driveway, but that wasn't enough for me to feel relieved. I parked away from home, not wanting to let my parents know I arrived. I got out of the truck, and started walking towards the house.

"What are we doing?" Edward asked as he followed me still.

"I need to see," I replied.

We both crept nearer to the house, no one saying a word. I haven't exactly explained to Edward what was happening at home – or what was _supposed _to be happening, but he was there with me.

We stealthily crouched just outside the window by the kitchen sink. I slowly peeked in, and the sight before me broke my heart – my mother, seated alone on the dining table, her head bowed down, and silent tears streaming down her face. I've never felt so helpless in my life. Seeing my mother in tears seems so wrong, and I had no clue how to comfort her.

I could see the light of the television from our adjacent living room. I couldn't see my father past the wall, but I wanted so much to see his face, to witness for myself if he was also in tears, if he was sorry. Was he truly watching the game on show? Was he thinking of my mother at this moment? Did he even know she was crying?

I didn't know what was wrong and it scares me that even if I knew what made my mother cry, I wouldn't know what to do.

I took a step back from the window, and felt a pull from my side. I saw my hand entwined with another's. Edward. I looked up at him. He pulled me in his arms.

* * *

**AN. **The next ten chapters will be a narration from Edward. My next update will be soon, I promise.


	11. Small Towns are Small

I haven't replied to those who reviewed the past few chapters. I apologize for that. Hello to the new readers!

Chapters beginning the following are of Edward's narration.

Disclaimer: All characters, plots, and settings related to Twilight are the property of Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended by the author.

* * *

**Chapter Eleven**

**Small Towns are Small**

* * *

I actually do not work at the hospital. I just mainly wander shamelessly around and do what my dad needs me to. Apparently, I'm a reckless volatile grown-up male who strictly needs to be looked after all the time. Not that that has stopped me. I was still on the plan. I was just doing it the harder way. I didn't dare complain though. I value my dad's opinion too much, and my mom's heart.

My mother's heart.

Aside from insisting that I stay in this cold and dreary town of Forks for the whole duration of my summer vacation, I also had to have a girlfriend. It seemed like a big fat ridiculous joke, yes, but mom was serious. Dead serious. It took me seven fucking dates to get her satisfied, and with the Police Chief's only daughter at that.

Bella.

I was on my way to fetch her now. She insisted on driving again this morning, but I was adamant. That kid is impressively stubborn, but two could play the game. In some strange way, I enjoy the feeling of someone depending on me, even though it was as mundane as driving. It makes me feel less otiose and pathetic about myself.

I let myself inside the store she works in, and was bombarded with a sight of two faces eating each other off. Disgusting. Jacob Black and his girl have no shame. I turned to see Bella. She was on her usual place behind the counter, holding one of my books. She looked calm and indifferent, but I knew better. Her eyes were not moving at all, staring straight at a spot on a page.

I slowly moved towards a display shelf, and with my elbow, I nudged the rack of whatever that was until it fell on the floor with a loud bang. That stopped the revolting kissing fest. However, my little nudging caused quite a domino effect inside the store, as one by one camping goods rained down around me. Perfect. Three pairs of eyes instantly shifted in my direction. Despite the loud ruckus I just made, I saw Bella smile.

"Sorry," I said, holding my hands up. "It was an accident." Well, the domino effect was.

Bella's smile wobbled and I knew she was trying not to laugh out loud. I cheekily winked at her before I started picking up random things scattered on the floor. I really didn't mean to cause a mess, and although it was Jake's job to clean it up, I wasn't that evil. I was willing to help.

"Hey, it's cool," he said, taking the inflatable sleeping bag from my hands. "I can do it myself."

I looked at him, feeling the challenge he was egging me on. I didn't bite. "Sure." I smiled. "It's all yours." I ignored the other girl and went straight to Bella.

Poor kid. I didn't fully understand what she has been through with Jacob, but she seemed to be struggling still. She was tough, I knew, but there were more than a few times she showed me how vulnerable she was.

"You know you have to pay for any damage if there's any," she pointed out as I leaned against the counter.

"Do I get a discount, at least? I drive the cashier to and from work."

She rolled her eyes, but then she looked up at me and with a small voice she said, "Thank you, Edward."

It seemed ridiculous to feel like a damn hero at that moment, but it felt like I was, like putting a stop to her ex-boyfriend and his tart's kiss has saved Bella from the impending doom. And I told myself I would save her, every time.

* * *

I received a text message as I walked into the house. It was good news from a friend from the university. A patient has just recently consented to be one of our research subjects. I breathed a sigh of relief. We might be able to start gathering data before school starts.

I passed by the kitchen to see my mom, only to find both my parents in an embrace by the stove, my mother still holding a wooden spoon. I let myself watch them for a second; drinking in the love the two flamboyantly show all the time. Watching them was always better than seeing a romantic movie; it was real life.

I looked away after that spying second, giving them privacy. I shook my head as I climbed up the stairs, thinking I'd probably be a bachelor all my life, or worse, have a lame and divorce-worthy marriage.

Whatever.

I pulled my phone and called one of my professors.

* * *

"Where were you yesterday, Edward? The nurses said you left abruptly while I was in the emergency room."

We were having dinner, and I put my spoon and fork down and turned to my dad. "I was just… hanging out with a few friends," I said. I was actually out on the parking lot behind the hospital, in my car, having a video conference on my laptop with a construction engineer from California.

"Why don't you invite your friends over here?" my mom asked. "I haven't seen any one of them. You used to bring over your friends all the time in Chicago."

I shrugged. Friends here in Forks? A number of casual pals, yes, but real friends? After they fucking bet on me? I don't think so.

My parents then talked about the blessed people of Forks, and I listened with little interest. My mind drifted back to my meeting with the engineer. The reality of doing this was overwhelming, and truthfully, a little scary. I had no idea what to do once the house is done, and it suddenly felt like my plan wouldn't work at all.

I glanced at my mom, wondering how she would react. I wouldn't want to hurt her, but moving to California was a big part of the plan. There was nothing but goodbye for Forks. There wasn't anything worth staying, anyway.

* * *

The week passed by and a dreaded Saturday came. It was the day of the baseball game my father had organized for the hospital staff and the other men in town. I frowned at the sun and the mocking warmth it radiated. It would have been a big help if it was cold and raining, which was _supposed_ to happen more than likely in this place.

I enjoy baseball, but playing the sport in a murky field doesn't sound that much fun. I wouldn't be playing though, and I was thankful for that.

Two knocks on the door and my mother came in my room. She held up a shirt. It was white, round-neck, with a large and bold "I (red heart) Forks" printed on the front. Whoever thought of the printing obviously has not been in New York City and is completely unoriginal with no creative sense whatsoever.

"Here," my mom said with a smile. "Wear this."

"Mom," I replied, shaking my head.

"Edward."

"No."

"Why not? It's a perfectly good shirt, Edward." She was smiling still. "Other people will be wearing it at the game."

"You're not wearing one," I pointed out.

"There was no size available for me," she reasoned. "I bought this especially for you, for today, and I'd love to see you wear it."

Crap. Still shirtless, I glanced at the shirt I was intending to wear, which was laid on my bed.

"Edward Anthony Cullen!" she exclaimed with horror on her face. Apparently, we were looking at the same thing. "Please tell me you are not wearing that shirt!"

I shrugged, although a grin crept up on my face. My mother obviously didn't like my "Virginity can be cured" shirt. What can I say? It was a riot in school. "Mom, it's just a shirt…"

She pushed the lame white shirt towards me. "Wear this today or I'll burn that foul shirt into a pile of ashes." She nodded once, satisfied with herself, before she walked out of my room. Oh, hell.

* * *

My mom tricked me! I was the only one wearing the damn shirt! I rolled my eyes as several people turned to me and beamed at the message printed across my apparel. _I_ would burn _this_ goddamn shirt into a pile of ashes right after the game.

Before we could climb up the bleachers, I heard Renee Swan calling my mom. I shouldn't have been surprised, but I was when I turned around and saw Bella with the exact same shirt as mine. _Other people will be wearing it at the game. _Right.

Her head was down and her face was red. I snickered. Really, who ever thought this shirt was a good idea?

I watched as Bella slowly raised her head, her eyes growing as wide as saucers as she took in my clothing. I laughed. This damn thing was just horribly hilarious, or perhaps hilariously horrible was more appropriate. Bella, however, didn't find this funny at all. The appalled expression on her face made me laughed harder.

Ignoring our mothers jumping with satisfaction at the side, I took a step closer to Bella. Still horrified with our damn twin shirts, she took a step back. I took two steps closer, she took two steps back.

Holding back my laughter, I gave her an innocent questioning look. "What's wrong?"

She held her hands out, a gesture to stop me from coming closer. "Are you kidding me? It will only get worse if we are to stand beside each other," she hissed at me, her eyes narrowing.

"So you're going to avoid me all day?" I asked.

She frowned. "No…"

I grinned as I closed the distance between us and wrapped my arm around her shoulders. "That's what I thought." She mumbled something incoherent. Ha. If I was going down with this shirt, I was taking someone with me.

We made our way to through the rows of steel seats, and passed by Tanya Denali, the daughter of one of my dad's colleague.

"Who's your new chick, Edward?" she asked.

I rolled my eyes. Tanya usually sees me when I'm with a girl. Unfortunately for me, we meet whenever I'm with a _new_ girl. "She's not new, and she's not a chick," I said.

She snorted at that, but nevertheless smiled to Bella. "Tanya Denali. I presume you're Edward's new chick?"

Bella smiled back. "Hi Tanya, I'm Bella; not new, not a chick."

I laughed out loud as I pulled Bella closer to me. Smart kid.

Tanya raised a brow. "Oh, please! Every girl of this guy here is a new chick, who expires just after a month of sneaky sampling."

I never liked Tanya.

"I'm not consumable, and I do not expire," Bella shot back.

I grinned. I was never this grateful for having Bella by my side. I turned to Tanya and saw her glaring at me. What the hell was wrong with her? I tugged at Bella's arm, wanting to walk away from Tanya right then. As we searched for vacant seats, Bella said, "I'm sorry I was a little rude to your friend. I just… I don't want to be…" She paused.

"What?" I asked.

She shook her head. "Nothing."

I let it go. "Don't worry about it."

The game started, and I actually found myself having fun. Dad was very enthusiastic on the field, as well as the other grown men playing. It was refreshing to see them all playful rather than being their usual boring professional selves.

My father was very good at baseball, and as he hit the ball with impressive power, I stood up and cheered him on. "Go Dad! Home run!" I stole a glance at my mother. She was sitting near the players' bench, her eyes intent on my father. I smiled.

As I sat back down, I noticed Bella looking far away, towards the woods beyond the baseball field. I gently nudged her arm.

She turned to face me, giving me an obviously fake smile. "Pretty exciting game, huh?" she asked.

It was, but I couldn't say that to her, not when she looked like she was about to cry. Was she still miserable because of the shirts? "Hey, I could look for something else to wear. I'm pretty sure my dad has an extra shirt I could use…"

Her brows furrowed.

"Or you could use it, if you like…"

She smiled a bit, which was strange. "The shirts are fine, Edward."

_They are?_

She looked at both of our lame shirts. "A little embarrassing to wear, yes, but they're pretty cute."

_They are?_

She must have seen the incredulity on my face. She laughed. When she calmed down after a short moment, a sad smile appeared. "Your father is a good player. Are you, as well?"

I didn't know where she was heading with this, and why that sad smile was still on her face. "Um… no, not really." I really wanted to know. "Bella, what's wrong?"

She shook her head, giving another pretentious smile, before turning her head back to the game. I met Renee Swan's eyes from the crowd below the bleachers; the expression on her face was telling me something, pleading, but I had no clue what she wanted from me.

Bella interrupted my thoughts, her voice almost as quiet as the wind. "I have never experienced cheering for my father at games like this."

I turned my head to look at her as she continued to watch the game. Charlie Swan wasn't here. _Where is he?_

Bella answered my unspoken query. "He rather goes to La Push and fish. He loves fishing." I could hear the venerating undertone in her voice when she said that, but there was also resignation.

"You can cheer for him when he fishes then," I said smilingly, wanting to lighten up the mood.

She gently shook her head. "It's not as exciting as this."

"Well, you can cheer for any old man out there," I motioned towards the field. I made an example. "Go grandpas! Work those old muscles out!" A few heads turned to look at me. I laughed at myself. I saw Bella smiling, as well. "Go on, try," I encouraged her.

She hesitated, but she held her hands near her mouth before she shouted. "Whoo!"

I laughed. "What kind of a cheer was that?"

She gave me a pointed glare, but her lips were twitching into a smile.

"Try again."

She bit her lip before giving another shout. "Go, go, go!" She awkwardly fisted her right hand in the air.

I clutched my stomach in laughter. "Just who are you cheering for, anyway?"

She slapped my arm, although she was laughing with me. Her whole face was red, either from embarrassment or laughter, I wasn't sure. "Shut up! I'm not good at this." Was anyone?

We continued watching as the game came close to an exciting end. The crowd was getting louder, and the players were even more driven to win. For a second I let myself see the moment from the outside – a small cold town swamped together watching old men play baseball. There was something very comforting with the picture.

However, my mind has its own direction, bringing me back to those days when I watch professional baseball matches in huge overfilled stadiums. The comfort I felt was still there, but a nagging feeling of pity came tumbling in. This was the most it could get. Small towns are small, after all.

I turned my attention back to the field for the final inning. Shoving my previous thoughts aside, I let myself enjoy the rest of the game. And I did enjoy myself; cheering for my father and his friends, seeing my mother glow with pride, and listening to Bella's lame attempts at cheering by my side.

* * *

We had lunch after the game, the two Swan's adding up to our family of three. My parents were ecstatic; they loved playing the perfect suburban hosts. As it turned out, I didn't burn the damn shirt, after all. Bella seemed to have recovered from the horror it brought earlier.

Midway through lunch, my phone rang. Emmett. I couldn't answer the call in the middle of a meal, so I hurriedly ate the rest of the food that was on my plate. Surprisingly, Bella finished with me. She beamed at me from across the table.

"Excuse me," I said as I stood up from my seat.

I rushed through the stairs, the phone ready in my hands. Just as I landed on the second floor, I heard footsteps behind me. I turned to see Bella smiling. I frowned. "What are you doing?" I asked.

Her brows furrowed. She looked confused for a second. I was confused myself. "Oh…" she muttered, hurt evident on her face. _Now what? _She looked down on the floor as she turned around and headed back down the stairs.

"Wait – where are you going?"

She looked back at me. "I'll just… I thought you…" Her face was red now, but she smiled sheepishly as she shook her head. "I just presumed things."

_Presumed things? _That was when I realized she was following me. I never had someone in my room before, aside from my parents. "Oh."

She shook her head again. "It's cool. I'll just go." She turned and walked away from me.

"Hey," I called out. I could let her in my room for a few minutes, couldn't I? "Come with me."

* * *

Hesitant to call Emmett with Bella in the same room, I turned to my computer to send him an email. Bella was roaming around my room, asking a few questions about my books and music. It wasn't as annoying as I thought it would be.

"What is this?" she asked from across the room.

I turned to look at what she was referring to. "A blueprint," I said.

"A blueprint? Of what? I thought you were going to medical school, not study architecture."

"I am," I said. "That's the blueprint of our house back in Chicago." I turned back to my computer, hoping my answer didn't give much.

"Why did you move here in Forks, anyway?"

My typing halted at her query. "My parents wanted to move."

"But you didn't?"

I stared at my monitor. "No, I didn't." I didn't want to say any more, and Bella didn't either. But when it got too quiet, I turned to see what she was up to. I found her on my bed, probably drifting into slumber. "Bella?" No answer. _Yep, definitely asleep._

I chuckled as I went back to my task. I wondered how my Emmett would react to this. I had a girl in my room for the first time, and I bored her to sleep.

Minutes passed and I was getting sleepy myself. Emmett hasn't replied to my email. I shut down my computer and turned to my bed. Staring at the ceiling with my arms folded behind my head, I waited for sleep to evade me, but when it felt like an hour has passed, I was still awake. Strange.

I could see Bella from the corner of my eyes, still peacefully asleep. It didn't escape my notice that we were still wearing the same damn shirts. I smiled. It all seemed amusing to me now. For minutes, I watched her take slow deep breaths, her chest moving in a steady rhythm. It seemed very interesting, and I wondered if it was because it was a girl that was beside me on my bed. _A _girl_ beside me on _my_ bed. _I shook my head, laughing at myself. I sound like a fourteen-year-old idiot. My head was getting way ahead of me.

Just when I tried to turn away from her, Bella awoke, somewhat dazed as she blinked her eyes several times.

"Go back to sleep," I whispered. "I won't bother you."

She stared at me, as if I have just spoken a foreign language.

"It's okay, Bella."

This time she nodded.

I was once again staring up at the ceiling when I felt an arm slid around me. Shocked and suddenly frozen, I turned my head to see Bella glued to my side. I blinked in surprise. What was happening? "Bella?"

Her voice was soft and muted when she answered. "You should have moved here sooner. I needed you even then."

At that moment I realized there was one thing that would be difficult for me to leave behind after all.


	12. In a Moment's Decision

Disclaimer: All characters, plots, and settings related to Twilight are the property of Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended by the author.

* * *

**Chapter 12**

**In a Moment's Decision**

* * *

I was completely clueless how to react, and I was hoping she'd go back to sleep. The warmth of her breath on my chest tickled, but the panic inside me loomed. _What do I say?_ I decided not to open my mouth, afraid I'd just sputter nonsense shit that would make me look like an asshole.

I was saved when a knock came from the door. Bella's arm was still around me when my mother peeked in, her eyes taking in the two of us on my bed. I finally looked down at Bella, and was surprised to see that she was asleep. Confused, I gently nudged her arm to wake her up. She slowly blinked away the sleep from her eyes, though she suddenly was on alert as soon as she saw how she was draped all over me.

_Shit, this is awkward._ My mother faked a cough, and Bella hurriedly moved away from me, murmuring something about being an idiot when she's asleep.

"Bella, dear, your mom is waiting for you downstairs. She says it's time for you to go home." My mother smiled, but stayed rooted near the doorway.

From the corner of my eye, I could see Bella nod. She silently got herself off of the bed, and out of my room.

I sat up. "Mom?"

"Hmm?"

"Will they be okay?" I asked.

She knew what I was referring to. "It's not something that could not be talked about. Renee is struggling, but she's strong."

I nodded. It may not be as bad as it seems. I hope. I still haven't met Chief Swan, and Bella seldom talked about him, but I could sense her genuine sadness whenever she does.

We were both silent for a while, my mother and I, our minds drifting to the two women on their way back to their empty house on the other side of town.

"First time you get her into your room, and it's straight to bed, huh?"

Apparently, _I_ was the _only_ one thinking of the Swan's. It felt like my eyeballs were out of its sockets as I turned to my mom in surprise. "What?"

She giggled, like it was some silly joke.

"You know we didn't do anything!" I wanted to make that clear, and it _was_ the truth.

"I know." She giggled again. "Of course I know, Edward. You're smart enough not to get into that with me and Renee just downstairs. Although, now that I think about it, here is more preferable compared to the Swans'. You know never know when Charlie might check on her daughter…"

Now I knew this was not a silly joke, it's a sick one. I was speechless. Get into _that_. Huh.

Mom patted my arm before she stood up to leave the room mumbling, "I must talk to Renee about Bella's birth control, maybe set-up an appointment…"

"Mom!"

"And don't forget; wrap your bait before you mate. I'm sure Carlisle can supply you with…"

"Mom, please! Just…" I sighed. This conversation needed to end here, now. "Close the door after you, please." I breathed a sigh of relief when I heard the click of the knob. I plopped into bed and stared at the ceiling, wondering if all Bella said was just an unconscious mumble.

* * *

Barbeque at First Beach was always a highlight of my few summers in Forks. The guys from the tribe are laid-back easy to deal with, unlike the locals of Forks who worships the likes of Mike Newton. We were on our third bottle of beer when the girls came. The guys cheered, knowing they were bringing more food out on the shore.

I found myself studying Leah, and watched when she sat next to Jake. Throughout the few times I have been here, I have always seen them together. I might have even though they were impressive, lasting so long while others seem to be fucking around in circles. And though they get into fights now and then, they always get back to each other.

But now that I have known Bella, it all seems so unfair. If Jake was her best friend, why did he betray her trust and ruined their friendship just like that?

"Dude, you're staring," Seth pointed out beside me, and I was glad. I quickly turned away from the pair before anyone else notices. I knew I was caught in the middle of whatever shit going on.

I shrugged. "It's nothing."

Seth didn't give up though. He leaned towards me and whispered, "Are you into her?"

The look of horror on my face must have been enough of an answer for him as he leaned back and relaxed.

"Shut up, Seth. It's nothing like that."

"Sorry. It would have been scandalous if that was the case, though."

I frowned; a bit insulted he thought I would cheat. "I was just wondering why Jake did it."

"Yeah, he was a jerk, but things weren't easy between them, you know? Bella just never get along with any of the guys, and Jake will always have the tribe behind him. My sister was just the easier choice."

"But they were friends! Why did he have to insult her like that?" Fuck, I was getting mad.

"I don't know. Jake did like Bella, and we were all aware of that. Leah happened, and I guess Jake took the easy way out." Seth stood up, brushed the sand off of the seat of his pants, all the while talking to me. "Look, Edward, let it go. It's done. You and Jake are cool, right?"

I took another glance at Jacob, and nodded at Seth. "Yeah."

He smiled before he left to get another beer. I turned back to Jake, who was still canoodling with Leah. He's chicken shit.

* * *

I was about to leave Newton's after driving Bella to work when Mike came in. I decided to stay, leaning back against the counter. Jake was busy inside the stockroom, but that didn't bother me as much as seeing Mike walking inside the store. His eyes were automatically on Bella, and I hated it. I could see his face crumple when he turned his gaze on me, though, which was good. "Hey, Cullen, no loitering inside my store! You can't just parade yourself in here like you're the boss."

I rolled my eyes, grabbed a pack of nearby AA batteries and slid it across the counter. "I'm a customer."

Mike glared, and I could almost see smoke coming off of his nose. I took out my wallet and turned towards Bella. She shook her head at me.

"What? I need those," I said, as I fished out a 20 dollar bill and handed it to her.

She pushed my hand away. "No, you don't."

"I do!" I insisted.

"What do need batteries for?"

"Um… for flashlights… and stuff."

She was still pushing my hand away when she sighed. "No, you don't, Edward, and I know very well what you're doing. He's not worth it." She looked at Mike with disgust.

I look at the bill in my hand. I nodded. Yup, Mike isn't even worth 20 bucks. She smiled as I took the money back.

"See you later, Edward. 5 PM. Don't forget, okay?" She said it in the sweetest way I could imagine Bella being that I smiled back and nodded like a little kid. And because she was still smiling at me like that, I leaned in and kiss her cheek.

* * *

After making a few calls to Emmett and some people from Stanford, I went back home. I was surprised to see my mother outside, carrying what seemed to be like an old greasy grass cutter. Shit.

"Mom!" I hurried over to her.

She merely waved at him. "Oh, you're back! Look what I found! I used to cut the grass back in Chicago with this…"

I took the heavy tool away from her, eying it with offense. "Well, you're not doing it now."

I knew it pains her when I get like this, but I shrugged it off. I was dumb when I was a kid, not knowing anything. My parents chose to keep things from me, and I get it, but for many years I lived in bliss ignorance while they struggled to manage whatever the hell that went wrong. Now I knew better.

"Edward, you know I'm doing fine."

"That's not enough, Mom. You know there's still a lot of researches and tests…"

"No," she interrupted. I groaned. This was happening again. "Your father and I already discussed this, and we told you. We're staying here, and I will take care of my heart as much as I can…"

I shook my head. "You don't have to always be careful if we find a way to make you better!" Forks was not the cure. She could move into a small town and eat all the fish in the Pacific Northwest, but she couldn't pretend she isn't sick, damn it!

She ignored how I just raised my voice at her, and I knew she already forgave me. We had this argument thousands of times before, and it always ends up like this. She patted my arm. "It's going to be alright, Edward. You'll see." She turned away and walked back inside the house.

I dumped the old grass cutter on the wet grass.

* * *

I stared at the blank text box. Stanford will only take 20 participants. If I talk to Dr. Wang, I'm sure he could give me a sure slot, and with time running out, I'm tempted to do it, with or without my mother agreeing. Maybe then she would do it.

I wanted this. I wanted this so much, for her.

My father wanted it too, he has told me, but he was being complacent now. He said taking things easy is the right way to go, but why not take the tougher road for a while then live without the risks for the rest of your life?

I typed in a greeting, and in a moment's decision, I finished the whole thing and sent the email. Done.

* * *

I returned to Newton's right as they were closing. Leaning against my car, I waited for Bella to come out, but was met with Jake instead.

"Hey," he smiled my way.

I nodded.

"Bella is still with Mike inside."

I frowned as he kept his eyes on me. What is his deal?

"You better keep an eye on that," he continued.

I snorted. Right. Bella and Newton, that's just hilarious. "Only you could be threatened by someone like Newton, Black."

He laughed, though it sounded forced. "Fuck you, Cullen."

Just then Bella came out of the store, almost rushing towards me. I raised a brow as she made a face. "Mike thought it was a good idea to make me watch him carry coolers inside the stock room." She faked a disgusted shiver before she leaned in and whispered, "I had wished he would drop one on his toes, but that wasn't necessary when he stopped after the second one. He pulled a muscle, I think."

I chuckled, but caught Newton's eyes as he came out towards his car. I gave him a glare. _Watch yourself, asshole!_

Without taking my eyes off the dipshit, I told Bella to get inside the car. It was only when I felt soft lips against my cheek that I was able to lose my focus on Newton.

"Thanks," Bella whispered before she moved away from me to get into the other side of the Volvo. I blinked back the surprise, gave Newton another glare before getting into the car myself. That was when I realized Jake was still there, silently watching. It was uncomfortable, being watched, but I shrugged it off. Something is up his ass, but I won't let it get to me. I know my girl.

* * *

**AN. **I know, it's been a couple of years. I totally went out of the loop for a long while, and hopefully I'm back for good. This is a short chapter, but I'm going to try writing more frequently. I will update as soon as I get the next chapter done.

Thanks to those who left me reviews and messages. I'm truly grateful.

Tell me your thoughts?


	13. Create Some Smoke

Thank you to those who dropped a comment on the previous chapter. I enjoyed reading your thoughts.

Disclaimer: All characters, plots, and settings related to Twilight are the property of Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended by the author.

* * *

**Chapter 13**

**Create Some Smoke**

* * *

I was quite distracted by the smudge of brownie on the corner of Bella's mouth, but didn't dare interrupt her blabbing about school and Seattle and Alice Brandon. It was only when she laughed and I saw her teeth all covered with chocolate that I hurriedly took out my phone and took a photo of her. It was funny, and a lot gross. Photographic evidence is a must.

"Give it, you ass!" She struggled to take the phone away from me, but it was a sure victory from my side. I laughed, and I had to admit that it felt fucking great being here. Lounging on a couch, eating chocolate and making fun of Bella may be completely far-off from my usual afternoon activities, but I was having fun.

I raised the phone above our heads while she continued to struggle to have it in her grasp. I looked down at her with a smirk. Still with that bit of brownie on her face, she's like a little kid.

It was only when she was almost sitting on my lap that the image of that little kid burst like a watery bubble. It was only for a moment, but I felt oddly freaked out when I realized I was visualizing her grown-up features. _Definitely not a kid_. I shook my head, willing those thoughts to go away.

I safely put my phone back inside my jean pocket and glared at Bella. "This is what you get for making me eat your mom's beet shit yesterday."

She huffed, "Oh, please, you liked it! You're just being a big baby. Plus you love it when Mom fusses over you. And it was beet sorbet!"

That was not true. I hated being fussed over. However, there was something about Renee that I just couldn't say no. She and my mother may not seem at all alike, but one reminds me of the other.

And I did not like that beet sorbet. Not at all. I was close to tears trying to stuff it all in my mouth all the while faking a big smile for Renee. Bella was amused. She scooped more of that disgusting shit into my bowl with a huge grin on her evil face.

"Don't play innocent, Swan. You're playing this game along with me. If you're gonna fight dirty, then so am I." I happily imagined uploading the newly taken photos in Facebook.

The rest of the afternoon was spent trying to take humiliating photos of each other, and we were still at it when Bella's father came home. _Shit shit shit_. I haven't notice the time. I quickly contemplated exiting through a window and run, but it was too late. I was stuck.

"Stop it, Edward. You look like a chicken with its head off."

I was tempted to flip her off, but I couldn't, not when her Police Chief of a father was just steps away from me. I sat back down, trying to look calm and at ease. I wasn't chicken, I told myself.

After a few calming breaths, I heard the door opened and closed. Then I saw him, Charlie Swan in his uniform with his badge and gun and maybe even a taser. I saw how his eyes zoomed in on me the moment he walked inside the house. I immediately stood up, my mouth suddenly dry.

Bella stood beside me. "Hey, Dad."

That was when I noticed Billy Black behind Bella's dad, wheeling himself into the living room. I knew him from the many days I've spent on the reservation. He's a pretty cool old man. "Hey, Billy." I gave him a smile. It only took a second before it hit me. _Oh, shoot._ I cringed. Why did I have to greet his friend first when he was right there in front of me? "Chief Swan." I wanted to introduce myself, but I had no fucking clue how.

"Edward," he greeted back, and I let out a small sigh of relief. _At least he knows my name._

Renee then came down from upstairs, disrupting the painful tension looming inside the room. "Oh, Billy, I wasn't expecting you today. How are you?"

They made small talk while I just stood there and avoided Charlie Swan's stare.

"I just made a huge pot of baked Mac. It's nothing fancy, but it's still warm…"

"It's fine, Renee. We passed by Sue's place and got ourselves a bag of her homemade fish fries. This should be good enough." It was the Chief who answered, and he already has his hand around the flat screen's remote control. I could see Billy opening his mouth, but the Chief interrupted again. "The game is about to start."

"Oh. Well, how about some beer or I can prepare some iced tea…" Renee waited by the stairs, her eyes still on her husband.

"I'd love to have some of your baked Mac, Renee." I could feel all eyes were on me, especially the Chief's. I wasn't sure if I just insulted him, but that wasn't my intention at all. "Please."

"Me too, Mom," Bella echoed beside me.

Renee gave us both a grateful smile. I was glad I asked.

* * *

After a hefty serving of baked Mac, Bella loudly announced to everyone in the house that she was taking me to her room like it was some sort of Presidential Decree. I raised my brow at her, but she just took my arm and pulled me upstairs. I could smell something fishy, and it wasn't from the fish fries.

"Is this where we take our clothes off and make loud sex sounds to give your dad a heart attack?" It was obvious I caught Bella off guard as I watched her blush. I smirked, feeling smug I could make her feel uncomfortable.

"Nope, that's not scandalous enough. We need to give him visuals. I was thinking of getting dirty on the couch someday soon just in time for my dad to come home."

Thank God I wasn't drinking anything, or I might have spat it out. I let out a cough, not letting her see my shock. "Nice. Just tell me when so I could prepare my own funeral beforehand."

She just rolled her eyes. "I just want to create some smoke. The fire will come later," she said cryptically.

"So, now, what? Are we painting our nails?" I asked, grinning.

"Oh, that's a good idea!" She made a horrible squeal of false excitement. "Metallic silver would totally look so good with your red hair!"

"My hair's not red!"

"Whoa, that's quite a reaction there. Your hair's a sensitive subject, huh?"

I took a pillow and threw it on her head. "Shut up."

We ended up on her bed, fully clothed of course, discussing epic tales of Bulfinch mythology and her recent obsession with the 'A Song of Ice and Fire' books. The door was closed but not locked, so it was no surprise when the door suddenly opened revealing a very displeased Charles Swan with a finger pointing at me.

"You! Get out, now!"

I hurriedly got off the bed, nodding at him with my mouth open. I looked like chicken shit, I was sure, but the man can do that to you.

I saw Bella standing, too, at the corner of my eye. "Dad, what is wrong with you? Edward's not a dog! You're totally being rude."

"Your dad's right, Bella. I have to go home. It's getting late." I wanted this as painless as possible. I still had no clue what the protocol is to meeting your girlfriend's father for the first time, but I was sure it does not include staying when he clearly ordered you to leave immediately.

"No, Edward, stay!" If we were in a less tense circumstance, I would have pointed out that she, too, made me feel like a dog.

"Bella, don't be difficult. You can't just bring a boy inside your room at night and expect me to go along with this."

"I'm not being difficult, and you let me take him upstairs. I told you earlier, and you just kept watching TV…"

"That doesn't mean I approve this behavior of yours. You have to take responsibility for your actions."

They glared at each other, both stubborn and headstrong. I was just thinking this could take a while when Bella let out a sigh before pulling my arm. "I'll walk you to your car," she told me.

"You stay right here, young lady. We're not done talking yet."

"Dad, we weren't doing anything wrong. Both you and Mom knew we were here, and don't forget that you barged in without knocking and saw us doing nothing!"

"Well, there are rules in this house. You may be a college student, but when you're staying under my roof, you will follow my rules."

"Rules, Dad? Really? Does that include being in La Push more often than being at home? Or when you do come home, all you do is watch TV or bring along a friend and some other woman's cooking then shoves it in your wife's face? If those are your rules, Dad, I'm not following them."

She tightened her grip on my arm and pulled me out of her room.

* * *

"Are you alright?"

She nodded. "I feel great."

"Really?"

She nodded again. "My dad's being a pain, but it feels good to get it all out."

"That's good. Cathartic, huh?"

We walked quietly towards my car, and when I turned to say goodbye, I saw her eyes brimming with tears.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

She shook her head. "I'm just a bit overwhelmed, I think. I'm alright, really." A tear fell from her eye, but she immediately brushed it away with the palm of her hand. "Ugh! I hate this! It feels good, but I feel guilty as well. Did you see his face before we left? I did that to him." And now she was full-on crying. I patted her shoulder, but it was awkward as hell, so I gently pulled her in my arms. That was when she wailed against my chest. _Shit._

"You only told him what he needed to hear, Bella. I doubt he's mad at you for that."

I could feel her nod, all the while sniffling and gulping for air. "I hate what he's doing to Mom. How can he not see that he's hurting her?"

"I don't know, Bella, but now he knows, so it's better, right?"

She pulled away from me; her hands still busy wiping away her tears. "God, I hate crying," she mumbled. After a taking in a huge breath, she smiled at me. "Thanks, by the way. Mom's baked Mac was nowhere near Esme's, but you ate it all."

I shrugged. "Nah, it was no big deal. If I could stuff my face with that beet shit, I could definitely eat some baked Mac."

"It was like glue, though," she complained as she made a face.

"More like library paste," I added, and we both laughed. I was glad I survived the night.

I fished out my car keys from my pocket. "Well, see you tomorrow, Bella," I said before turning to my car.

"Edward, wait..."

I turned back around to see her looking nervously at me. "Hmm?"

"You see… I – I think…" She hesitated.

"What is it?

She puffed up her cheeks before she huffed. "Edward, I…"

I rolled my eyes. This girl was driving me nuts, I swear. "Just fucking say it, Swan."

She took a step towards me, and before I could say anything else, she said, "Kiss me."

"What?"

She took another step closer. "I need you to kiss me." Her voice was stronger this time, the hesitancy gone.

"What are you talking about?"

"Now, Edward," she ordered. She closed the gap between us and now we were standing face to face – well, face to chest, really. I nervously glanced back at the house, noting that I couldn't see the Chief and hoping he couldn't see me as well, especially now when his daughter was demanding me to kiss her. I could see a shadow against the curtain, though.

"Bella, I don't think this is such a good idea," I said, holding her shoulders with both hands, trying not to let her get too close to me.

She huffed again. "Kissing your girlfriend goodnight is always a good idea."

"I know, but…" I took a glance back at the window again, imagining Charlie Swan getting his shotgun to aim at me.

"Oh, come on, Edward! It's just a kiss!"

I glared at her. "It's not just a kiss if I end up dead!" I hissed. "What is up with you? There's no need to even play pretend now. Just go inside, Bella." I quickly turned around, wanting to get safely inside my car before Bella can have more ideas. She was faster, though. She slammed the door of my car close before I could get in.

"Oh, don't be such a coward, Edward."

"What? This isn't part of the deal! Whatever rebellious streak you're going through with your dad, I am not going to be a part of it!"

"This isn't about that!"

"Oh, so you really just want to kiss me?" I gave her a smirk. "I know how your mind works, Swan. Creating smoke, playing with fire? You just want attention from your dad because he's pissing you off, and you don't know what to do about it. You feel fucking helpless." I knew how it works. I did the same with my parents back when I was in high school. "Flaunting a relationship with a guy your father clearly despises won't make your parents' marriage work, Bella."

She shook her head. "Don't make this any bigger than it is, Edward. A kiss is a kiss. You had no problem doing it in front of Newton last time, and now you go all prudish on me!"

Shit. I was hoping we would never have to discuss that kiss - a kiss I couldn't even rationalize in my own head why I did it. Sure, I got a kick knowing Newton saw it and probably cried in envy afterwards, but...

Bella interrupted my thoughts. "You know what, never mind. This really is all for show, anyway. I really don't want to kiss you. Go home, Edward."

Okay, now I was really annoyed. This girl was just begging me for a kiss earlier, and now she's acting all snotty. She wanted a kiss, then she'll get one hell of a kiss. I reached out and grab a fistful of her shirt, pulled her to me, and planted my mouth on hers. It might have been a little rough, but there's no way I'm giving her a sweet peck now.

What I intended to be a short hard kiss turned longer. I couldn't stop, not when Bella was kissing me back. For a split second, I wondered when did she place her arms around my shoulders, but I lost that train of thought when I felt her tugging my hair. My hands automatically grasped her hips tighter, my fingers searching for her skin. It all became too much when I realized I was tasting her tongue, my own inside her mouth. Our breathing was strained, and I could feel my heart go above the normal beating rate.

_Fuck._

With my eyes still closed, I slowly pulled away. She let me. I waited for a slap or a scream from her; I expected it. When a moment passed and there was nothing but our still uneven breathing, I opened my eyes to see her flushed cheeks and wide eyes. We stared at each other for a second before she suddenly turned and ran inside the house without any word.

That night I drove myself home in a daze.


	14. Like a Lost Puppy

Disclaimer: All characters, plots, and settings related to Twilight are the property of Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended by the author.

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen**

**Like a Lost Puppy**

* * *

"Hey, you're awake. Aren't you going to drive Bella to work?"

I shrugged as I opened the refrigerator and took a carton of milk. I was already awake for an hour, but couldn't bring myself to get out of bed. I was still contemplating whether to show up at Bella's house today.

Not only was I scared of what Bella might do to me following the event that happened the night before, I was also clueless what to do. Should I apologize? I didn't want to, especially when she was the one who insisted on that kiss at the first place. Should I pretend nothing happened? I could do that, but only if she wouldn't mind pretending, either. Maybe it'll be better if we just forget the whole thing. I snorted. Like I could forget that kiss anytime soon.

"She'll be late if you don't hurry," my mom said as she watched me empty the carton.

"I might stay at home today," I replied.

"Oh? Are you not feeling well?" she asked. A worried frown instantly formed on her face.

I nodded, feeling a little guilty making her think so. I immediately went back to my room, afraid my mom would start fussing over me and feeling my non-existent high temperature.

I looked at my phone, waiting to see if Bella would call or send me a message. I wondered if she was still waiting for me, or if she decided to just drive to Newtons' herself. I felt bad imagining her being late while wondering where I was. I held my phone, my thumb ready to press the call button. I should definitely call her, I thought, even if it was to say I couldn't drive her to work.

Then again, she didn't call me, either. Did she even wait at all?

Fuck this shit. I'm going back to bed.

* * *

I woke up even before the alarm. This time I didn't linger in bed. I immediately got up to shower to shake off the grogginess. Bella will see me on her doorstep bright and early this morning.

All day yesterday I haven't heard a peep from her, though admittedly I haven't call or sent her a message either. It seemed like my whole day was all messed up doing nothing but checking my phone. I stayed in bed longer than the usual which gave me a headache, and I spent the afternoon watching mindless TV shows and waiting for my phone to ring. It made my headache worse.

Mom was clearly giddy I was up early today, and I knew she'll be on the phone the second I leave the house.

However, all was fucking moot when I arrived at the Swans' and found Bella's truck gone. Renee must have seen me because she hurriedly came out and told me Bella already drove herself to Newton's early this morning.

I could go back home and just forget about all this, I thought, but I knew that another day like yesterday will cost me my sanity.

It won't be on her doorstep, but Bella _will _surely see me this morning.

I just stepped inside Newton's when Jacob suddenly appeared right in front of my face out of nowhere, "Hey, Edward, Mike's not here yet. He let me work the whole day today. He might be coming in a few minutes, though, to check on a few things..."

"What?"

"Mike. He's not here right now."

"I'm here for Bella…" I pointed out, as if it wasn't obvious enough for him. Why would I want to see fucking Newton?

"Oh. I know, but aren't you going to talk to Mike?"

"Why would…" I was interrupted when the back room opened and Bella came out – with what looked like an ugly bruise on her forehead! Her eyes grew wide the second she saw me, and mine did too as I eyed her evident injury. She hurried off to hide behind the counter while I narrowed my eyes at her, following her every step. Before I could get to her, however, Jacob spoke again. "Don't worry about Mike, Edward. I'll look out for her. You can count on me."

I still had no clue what he was talking about, but I had to get to Bella. "Sure, Jake. I'll talk to Bella now."

Bella was looking down pathetically trying to look busy as I walked towards her.

"What happened to your head?" I asked.

She gave me a glance, then shrugged, and in a very cordial voice, said, "Hey, Edward. How can I help you today?"

I swallowed a curse and hissed at her, "Tell me what happened to your head."

She eyed me for a long second, and when I thought she would finally talk, she suddenly waved to someone behind me. "Good morning, Mr. Yorkie!" Annoyed and a lot frustrated, I didn't bother turning around to see who just came in. I heard Jacob entertain some old man who was looking for an outdoor grill.

"Bella, I'm waiting. Tell me what happened." I gritted my teeth.

That was when she finally looked me in the eye. "It's frustrating, isn't it? I was waiting yesterday, too."

For a second I could only look at her, my mind indecisive whether to defend myself or not. Not that I could, really. "Look, we'll talk about that later. What happened?" I asked again, pointing at her head. It was distracting me, and I'd rather talk about it than what has caused my absence yesterday.

She shrugged. "Clumsy moment."

"Clumsy moment? That's it?"

She turned away then and started rummaging through a pile of inventory papers. "Yes, that's it."

I thought of what Jacob has told me just minutes ago. "Jake knows what happened, doesn't he?"

I could tell I was grating on her nerves at the moment, but she just have to deal with it. "What, you're gonna gang up with him now and talk about me? Go home, Edward. I'm sure you have better things to do than be here."

I opened my mouth to say something, but was caught off-guard by what she just said.

That wasn't true at all. All day yesterday I was bored and miserable, and yes, guilty as hell just because I didn't see her and drive her to work. I knew I had to apologize. I needed to. I took a deep breath. "About yesterday, that was me being a chicken shit. It had nothing to do with you."

She shook her head. "This isn't about yesterday."

I wondered if this was about the kiss, but I was hesitant to ask. It seemed like she was going for the pretend-it-didn't-happen route, and I for one didn't want to open that can of worms.

"I'm just saying that you don't need to drive me to work every day anymore," she went on, her voice muffled enough so only I could hear. "We already had our parents convinced. Heck the whole town has probably made up a cheesy love story starring the both of us!" She gave me a patronizing smile, as if she was talking to a small child. "We don't need to try so hard to pretend. It's okay."

"What?"

"We'll be fine. Plus, driving me around all the time is kind of ridiculous, especially when we live in a town as small as Forks and there's the fact that I have my own truck," she added as she rolled her eyes.

"Bella, you know it's not like that. I was the one who insisted in driving you to work, and it had nothing to do with our deal," I insisted, because really, I didn't do that shit just because I _needed_ to. "Don't pull away from me just because I didn't show up yesterday."

"I told you this isn't about yesterday!"

"Then tell me what this is all about! Don't act like you know how I feel and make me go away!"

We both realized a little too late that there were other people in the store, gawking at us like we were in a freaking reality show.

"Okay." Bella took a deep breath. "Come back during my lunch break and we'll talk?"

I wanted to know what happened to her head right this minute but was resigned to the fact that we couldn't talk right now.

* * *

"And just my luck, which you know is almost always bad, a couple of tube lanterns fell on me."

I frowned as I watched Bella took a sip of her hot apple cider after she told me what happened yesterday. We were sitting on the bed of her truck, sharing a grilled steak sandwich for lunch. It wasn't raining, so we decided to enjoy the sparse sunlight that managed to shine through the thick clouds.

"So, Mike cornered you?" I asked.

She shook her head. "No, I said I _felt_ cornered."

"Because he _did_ corner you," I insisted. Bella was being stubborn. She was taking a firm stand that what has happened to her head was all her clumsiness' fault. It was that shit Newton's, who assumed, yet again, that Bella was willing to go out with him. "Did he fucking touch you?" I had to ask, although just the thought of it was making me want to get my hands on the fucker to pulverize _his_.

"No, he was just crossing my personal boundaries a bit that I had to step back and collided with the shelf. Shit fell and hell broke loose."

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing. I just embarrassed myself, as usual. The store was a mess and Mike wouldn't stop apologizing while _still _invading my personal radius."

I could only shake my head at Newton's incredible ability to pester people, especially me. Even before knowing Bella, he annoyed the living hell out of me. "Jake helped you?" I asked.

She scoffed, but I knew that was a yes. I wasn't sure how I feel about that. She chewed the last bit of sandwich before turning to me, "Do you want a doughnut? I'm craving for one right now."

I could only glare at her. After making me wait until lunch to tell me all this shit, and now she just wanted a fucking doughnut? Though I was quite glad she wasn't moody anymore, and that she seemed to forget about waiting for me yesterday. All is well, I thought with relief.

"I can get you a doughnut. Just sugar-glazed, right? We can get some hot chocolate." I volunteered, perhaps too quickly.

Her eyes narrowed at me with what I could only guess as suspicion, her earlier nonchalance gone. "Why are you suddenly like this?"

"Like what?" I hoped innocence was radiating through me, even though that was unlikely because yeah, I wasn't usually this nice.

"Like you want to spend your day with me and buy me things. Go home, Edward."

I ignored her quick dismissal of me, again, even though it made me feel like a dog. Plus, I was only offering her pastries and a hot drink, not flowers and jewelry. "Look, I came to apologize, or whatever." I didn't want to admit I was waiting to hear from her yesterday, but I wanted her to know I wouldn't leave her waiting again. "I'm sorry. You know I can be a dick sometimes..."

"Oh." She ducked her head, so I couldn't see her face and figure out what she's thinking. "Edward, let's just…"

"I swear it wasn't like I enjoyed the thought of making you wait. I was just… I'm sorry," I interrupted before I lose the nerve to get it all out there.

She sighed, and I could see her mumble something under her breath. "Apology accepted, Cullen."

I smiled, relieved. "So how about that doughnut?"

She shrugged as she climbed down the truck. "Nah, the craving's gone now. You really should head home. I have to get back to work."

"I can stay," I offered.

"Stay and do what?"

I shrugged. "Just hang out, maybe?"

She spun around fast, almost colliding into me. "Really? While I'm at work?"

I rolled my eyes. Work at Newton's is like child's play. "Well, you work and I'll hang around," I amended.

Bella stared at me for a few seconds, and I was about to tell her she was making me feel uncomfortable when she tilted her head and narrowed her eyes. "Cullen, you're acting very strange." She crossed her arms across her chest as smirked at me. "For a guy who admittedly avoids being in a committed relationship, you sure are becoming clingy."

I could hear the teasing tone in her words, but it wasn't the least bit funny to me. The last thing I want to be is fucking clingy. The thought of someone following me around like a lost puppy was never appealing to me, so for her to say that about me was horrifying.

"I... I wasn't..."

She raised a brow at me, waiting as my mouth opened and closed like a fish. A second later and all I could manage to say was a mumble, "Shut, up, Swan."

She laughed as she waved me away. "See yah, Cullen. Busy day today. We're giving a 10% discount to any loyal customer who buys an outdoor grill," she announced.

I snickered, though I was still reeling over the fact that she called me clingy. Clingy, my ass.

* * *

The bar where Emmett worked was filled with the college crowd enjoying the summer break. The atmosphere was relaxed and good music streamed through the speakers. Emmett was busy handing out drinks so I sat alone on a bar stool, just watching people mingle.

I could see Rosalie smirking at me from the corner of my eye. "You fucked up, lover boy?"

I raised a brow at her. "What?" Rosalie and I barely tolerate each other. I could never figure out what Emmett sees in her, though knowing Emmett it's probably something very shallow, like her ass.

"Where's your small town girl?"

I rolled my eyes. "You're from that same small town, Rosalie Lillian."

"Not anymore, Edward Anthony," she said.

I didn't have anything to say to that, so I took another pull of my beer and ignored her persisting inquisitive glance.

"So she's still your girl, that Swan chick?"

And there it is – the need to confirm if I already messed up my supposed last chance of being a decent man who can commit. I snorted, since it was just a few hours ago that "my girl" told me I was getting clingy. I could never figure this out, I thought. Women are just different species from men.

I drained my bottle of beer before heading to the rest room, completely ignoring Rosalie as she sighed behind me.

I returned to the bar and was glad Rosalie has found something better to do than annoying the shit out of me. I was drinking my second bottle of beer when a blonde suddenly appeared beside me, ordered some girly drink, and flirted with me while I mostly ignored her. She talked about how all the other guys around here look the same.

"What, I look different?" I asked.

"Uh-huh. You definitely look more mature and grown-up compared to these little boys."

I raised a brow, completely not convinced. Not that I disagree with what she just said, but judging by the glittery long fingernails crawling along my chest, I knew this girl has an agenda, and it's not a hidden one, that's for sure.

Bella doesn't have long fingernails, I thought. She always keeps it clean and short.

She interrupted my musings. "Your girlfriend's claws are coming out."

"And yours are digging through my skin," I pointed out as I frown down at her wandering hand. Then it sank in – _my girlfriend_? I immediately looked around for Bella, wondering how she ended up here – why she ended up here, but I spotted Rosalie glowering at me instead.

"Oh, that's not my girlfriend, thank the heavens," I muttered.

The girl then made an exaggerated sigh of relief and giggled – the annoying kind of giggle which sounded like a hyena's – and was about to raise her hand to probably touch my hair when I took a step back because Rosalie might not be my girlfriend, but that didn't mean I want to be friendly with this chick.

"I thought she's not your girlfriend," she complained.

"She's not. I don't like blondes, and my girl definitely does not glue harmful bits of plastic on her fingers," I said, smiling.

She huffed, ordered another drink before turning away.

Emmett took a break and we played a few games of darts for a while. I was about to have my third bottle of beer when I saw that Bella has left me a couple of messages. She was asking for Renee, if her mother has been with my mom. I frowned as I checked the time I received the messages. It's been more than a couple of hours since then. Knowing Renee has most probably arrived home by now, I didn't bother sending a reply.

* * *

I was driving back to Forks before midnight, refusing Emmett's offer for me to stay the night. Knowing he'll be with Rosalie, that wasn't a good idea. I decided to go straight home and into bed when I remembered Bella's messages. A few minutes later and I found myself parked a few houses away from the Swans'. Appearing on their doorstep at this hour was obviously a bad idea, but I had this strange urge to see Bella to make sure she's alright.

Apparently, that was not something I should have worried about judging by the usual way she wanted me away. My mental health, however, was questionable as I wondered how the hell I came up with the brilliant idea to climb a tree and knock on her window.

"Edward, what are you doing?"

"Come on, give me a hand."

"What? No! We do have a door, you know. It's downstairs, in case you missed it."

I knew that! "Will you open the door if I knocked on it instead?" I didn't wait for her reply as I balanced myself on a branch, ready to jump inside her room. "Move!" I hissed. She was still blocking her window, and I didn't know how long I could stay on the tree without hurting myself or waking Bella's father up.

"No!" And though I could tell she was thinking I was being nuts, I could hear the amusement in her voice as she told me not to go in. She did, however, move out of the way as I leaped inside. "You're crazy, you know that? My dad's sleeping downstairs!"

I rolled my eyes at her because how could I forget? Chief Swan would have normally scare the shit out of me, but tomorrow seemed too far away and I was feeling restless. "Let's talk," I told her as I got up from her floor where I landed with a muted thud. I was stealthy, and I was proud of that.

I was making myself comfortable on Bella's bed while she was still murmuring I was a wacko when I suddenly realized I was in Bella's room in the middle of the night, the door locked, and none of our parents aware. I looked at Bella, and saw for the first time that she was only wearing a thin old ratty shirt and a pair of shorts so small it was like underwear. I gulped.

* * *

**AN. **If you're still reading this, you have the patience of a saint. Seriously. Share your thoughts? :)


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